"One of the Top 100 Wines of 2020" James Suckling
Tasting Note (98 pts jamessuckling.com)
"This is fabulous on the nose, offering licorice, violets, blackberries and blueberries. So fresh and complex. Full body and ultra-fine tannins with wonderful definition. Fantastic length. A blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec Drinkable now, but better after 2022."
FOOD PAIRING
Best paired with aged beef rib eye steaks, hearty lamb stews, and roasted wild game.
TECHNICAL DATA
GRAPES: 88% Malbec, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon
APPELLATION: Mendoza
PH: 3.58
ACIDITY: 6.8 g/L
ABV: 14.5%
AGING: 14 months
Alta Vista’s iconic wine, represents the benchmark among Argentine wines, crafted from the highest quality grapes from small vineyard parcels with low yields. Hand-picked grapes go through a double selection process on a sorting table. Alto is vinified in small, epoxy-lined concrete tanks which allow a gentle, precise vinification and extraction of polyphenols to produce an elegant wine. It is aged 14 months in new French oak barrels and at least 12 months in bottle.
HARVEST NOTE
2015 was an atypical vintage for Mendoza since it suffered sanitary pressure and higher frequency of rain and humidity. The alcohol content in wines is lower than usual and acidity levels are very convenient. The general balance of the wines is good and less ripe than usual. The results demonstrate that the intensity of aromas is above average. The concentration of the wines is on average but the great balance between alcohol and acidity gives a long and fruity finish. The general style appears to be different to 2004 due to the early harvest, which allowed us to conserve good acidity and lower alcohol. Balance seems to be the main descriptor of 2015 vintage.
TASTING NOTE
The wine is deep ruby in color with complex aromas of black fruits, such as blackberries, spices, and chocolate. On the palate, the wine is elegant with silky tannins and a long intense persistency.
POINTS OF DISTINCTION
Produced from highest quality, selected grapes, only in the best vintages.
For Alto, yields are a minuscule 0.5 bottles per vine.
Since '02 vintage, major wine publications have never rated Alto below 92 pts.
Made in very limited quantities.