Vina Alicia Las Compuertas Malbec 2013
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A stylish and distinctive wine with a delicate earthy quality and rather bright blueberry fruit for a five-year-old wine. Best of all is the mature and silky palate that makes this a great food wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Las Compuertas Malbec was selected from small plots from the same vineyards in Las Compuertas as the Paso de Piedra, selecting the higher altitude parts of the 15 hectares planted ungrafted a long time ago at some 1,300 meters altitude. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts after a cold soak and aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels. There is elegance and subtleness in the nose, classical and balanced, with nicely integrated oak and a lactic touch. There is good freshness from the vintage, with the sweet heart of the Malbec tannins, elegant and polished. All Viña Alicia wines share an elegant, approachable profile.
Other Vintages
2019-
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
Alicia Arizu established Viña Alicia in 1996. With 25 years of research in both viticulture and wine making, she dedicated herself to creating Mendoza's most elegant wines from vineyards that have been in her family for 3 generations in Mendoza's Lujan de Cuyo.
Viña Alicia has two vineyards: "San Alberto" and "Viña Alicia" in Lujan de Cuyo. The geographical location, the type of soil and the regional climate place these lands among the most wanted lands of the world. Climate is template, Mediterranean, dry and the scarce rainfalls (180 mm, annual average) add up to the ideal conditions for vine growing. The soil origin is alluvial and has a loam-silty to sandy texture. Water for irrigation comes from the snow break in the high mountains of the Los Andes mountain range, through a unique irrigation system in the world. All these benefits plus water management according to the actual growing needs in terms of frequency and quantity make Lujan de Cuyo the first viticulture zone in Argentina.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.