2020 PerSe, La Craie, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Argentina

Description

The 2020 La Craie is a co-fermentation of Malbec and Cabernet Franc from El Monasterio in Gualtallary, Uco Valley, specifically a plot that faces south and sits on a hill with calcareous soils. Aged in neutral French oak barrels, it's purple in colour. The nose has a high-altitude character of herbal notes such as sage and ash and subtle hints of black- and blueberry.

It's lean and electric on the palate, with taut, chalky tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a balanced, sculpted feel before the prolix, primary finish. It has a Venturi effect in the mouth, compressing itself in the middle before allowing the energy to flow freely.

Drink 2023 - 2035

Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous.com (September 2023)

Colour Red

Sweetness Dry

Vintage 2020

Maturity Ready - youthful

Grape List Malbec

Body Full Bodied

Producer Per Se Vines

About this wine

Malbec

Known as Auxerrois in Cahors, Cot in the Loire and Malbeck in Argentina, this grape has undergone a mini renaissance in the last decade, largely fuelled by its success in South America. It used to be a staple component of the Bordeaux Blend, but it never recovered fully from the 1956 frosts and its plantings there have fallen by 75% as growers have replaced it with more fashionable, and crucially, more durable grapes.

Find out more