What?
Juice 2018 Malbec, Amalaya, Calchaquí Valley, ARG
Grape 85% Malbec, 10% Tannat, 5% Petit Verdot
Farming Practising Organic, Vegan
Tasting Note This wine displays intensely fruity red berry aromas of raspberries and cherries, floral notes and a touch of spice and chocolate. It is structured yet fresh and fruity on the palate with soft, rounded tannins and a long velvety finish.
Who?
Amalaya translates as ‘hope for a miracle’ in the indigenous language of the now extinct tribe, the Calchaquí. The winery is situated in Cafayate, Calchaquí Valley in Salta in the far north of Argentina at nearly 1,828 metres above sea level. It is a part of the Hess Family Estates and is run with the same dedication to quality, sustainability and social responsibility as the other Hess Estates. All of the Amalaya wines are fruit driven in style, with a finesse that unites them. These wines offer incredible value for their quality and truly reflect their ‘sense of place‘.
Why?
Amalaya is one of few Argentinian producers that eschew the use of oak during fermentation and only use a minimal amount during ageing ensuring that the wine retains its freshness and vibrancy. The small amount of Petit Verdot in the blend further emphasises this freshness gives the wine a real focus on the mid palate appose to the richness and breadth commonly associated with Argentinian Malbec.
With?
The go to pairing for Argentinian Malbec is grilled/barbecued red meat, specifically beef. No other country in the world has such a culinary focus and fascination with one particular cuisine and method of cooking. So that would be the simple pairing suggestion though, due to the aforementioned freshness and vibrancy of the wine we believe you could easily sit this drop beside various casseroles in particular those with a healthy glug of red wine in the mix. For the vegetarian leaning drinkers why not a stew of root vegetables and potentially shrooms, the freshness of the fruit purity of the wine helping to cut through the richness and balance the savoury flavours.
