Vintage - 2018

Country - Argentina

Region - Mendoza

Grape Varieties - Malbec 100%

Alcohol by volume - 14.5%

Bottle - 75cl

El Camino - the King's Highway - threads mythically through the foothills of the majestic Andes among vineyards famed the world over for the purity of their growing conditions. The combination of these superb vineyard sites, the dedication and expertise of the local viticulturists and winemakers and a touch of European knowhow, results in wines of real intensity. Made exclusively for us.

2018 has been cited as a more classic year for Mendoza. Lower temperatures and rainfall than previous vintages between February and April allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and gradually, producing fresh wines with smooth tannins.

The vineyards are located around Costa de Araujo, North East of Mendoza. The climate is semi-desert, with low annual rainfall. The area is influenced by its proximity to the Andes Mountains, where the melted snow flows through irrigation channels to nourish the vines during the hot summer months. The strong wind, known locally as the ‘Zonda’ which usually occurs during May and November, brings with it warmer temperatures, often followed by cooler ones, requiring vigilance in the vineyard. The soils are mainly clay, which has good water retention properties, ideal in this warm climate.

The grapes were destemmed after harvesting, to obtain a fruity expression from the grapes. After pressing, 60% of the juice underwent temperature controlled maceration to extract flavour, colour and to impart structure to the wine. The remaining 40% of the juice was fermented immediately between 20 to 25°C imparting a vibrancy and freshness to the wine. After the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations were complete, the wine was then centrifuged, clarified and filtered prior to bottling.