James Suckling 94
"A deep and naked malbec without added sulphites. Stones, white pepper, stems and wild herbs to the dark cherry fruit on the nose. Full-bodied on the palate with dense, chalky tannins and a pristine, juicy finish. All about the fruit here. Drink now"

The Wine
Malbec
Vineyard located in Gualtallary, Uco Valley, 1,400 meters above sea level
Calcareous soils
Hand harvested and the grapes are transferred to small clay amphorae by gravity
Fermented with indigenous yeasts between 24C-26C, 50% whole cluster
Aged for 8 months in clay amphorae
Bottled unfiltered, unfined and sulphites

The Estate
Matas winery is located in Lujan de Cuyos Vistalba district, which is lower in elevation than the Uco Valley, but has a longer history of viticulture and thus much older average vine age. He also produces wines from Rio Negro in the region of Patagonia and, despite the naysayers, has planted vines in the Uco Valleys most extreme subregion, La Carrera, at over 6,000 ft in elevation. All of his fruit is hand-picked, the wines are fermented with exclusively indigenous yeasts, and no additives are used in the winemaking process, except a small amount of sulfur at bottling for some wines. The wines are energetic, see minimal-intervention, and offer exceptional value, even at the higher end.

Farming Practice:Sustainable