Vallisto Malbec

About

The vineyards grow on rich loamy soils with a deep rocky subsoil on the Western slope of the Mount Punta Alta, which protects them from excessive sun exposure. Standing at more than 6,200 feet above sea level, the vineyard benefits from the coolness afforded by high altitudes, even during heat waves.

The grapes were hand-picked in small 40 pound baskets. When the fruit arrives at the winery, they do a cluster selection in a sorting table, rejecting leaves and dehydrated clusters. Once in the tank they do a cold soaking for 3 to 4 days between 46 & 50 degrees to get more fruit character. They then inoculate the wine with selected yeasts. During early stages of fermentation, the winery does pump overs 3 times a day. They then circulate the wine every day to wet the cap, macerating for one or two weeks more. They wine is then allowed to naturally finish malolactic fermentation. Half of the finished wine is aged for 12 months, using 225 and 500 liter French barrels hand crafted with oak from the Allier forest with a very soft toast. The other half of the wine is aged in concrete vats, also for 12 months.

Vallisto Malbec has a very classical label and a classical Salta profile with freshness, expressing the conditions in a balanced and subtle way. The wine is ripe and round, with a lush palate. It comes from a vineyard at 1,900 meters altitude on granite soils and manages to express place through a less intrusive winemaking and elevage, the looking for more freshness and more delicate extractions, harvesting a little early.