Maipe Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

100% Malbec. Manual harvested. 35 year old vines. 10% aged in American oak for 3 months. Maipe was the Lord of the Winds for the ancient Andean people. Argentineans still invoke his name to clear the skies after a heavy rain or to temper the summer heat. Produced in the Lujan de Cuyo subregion of Mendoza by the Pelizzatti family, Maipe wines are an expression of the deep rich soils and a commitment to excellence by the young winemaker, Liliana Iannizzotto, and consultant Alberto Antonini. These wines, children of the Sun and the Winds, are produced from grapes grown at the foothills of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. The vineyard is planted with 18 hectares of Malbec and 32 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. The soils are deep and textured, which facilitates plant development and confers great body and structure to the wines. Classified among the best areas within the province of Mendoza, year-long sunny and dry conditions permit almost organic viticulture practices. Its outstanding feature is a great daily thermal amplitude, with mild days and cold nights that allow a particular richness of polyphenols that improve the wines’ flavors and color. 35 year old vines. 4 day maceration on skins in temperature controlled steel vats; 10 day fermentation with selected yeasts. 5 days post fermentative maceration; malolactic fermentation. 10% aged in American oak for 3 months.