Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This dark-fruited red has smoky and salty undertones to the black-plum, black-olive and clove aromas. It’s full-bodied and concentrated, with deliciously spicy and salty character and berry-soaked tannins. Deep and compact. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2023 Malbec Auténtico comes from Estancia Colomé and is crafted in a primary, unoaked style. Intense purple, its aromas reveal blackberry, a hint of chili pepper and a sharp balsamic touch with notable intensity and slight reduction. Indulgent and broad with plush textures and fine tannins, it offers pure flavors and remarkable palate intensity. The northern sun has made this long, powerful and full of flavor.
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Wine Spectator
Opens with bold notes of molasses, olive and Mission fig but then reveals a core of fresh berries and plum. Turns savory on the finish, adding dried tobacco and loam details, with structured tannins. Nice length. Drink now through 2036.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Malbec Colome Autentico is a brawny, full-bodied wine with good acidity and floral characteristics marked by its sophisticated structure and length. From the depths of Salta, it shows tremendous concentration and age-worthiness; cellar through 2037.
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.
The Salta region in northern Argentina is home to world’s highest vineyards. Near the town of Payogasta, the Colomé Altura Máxima vineyard is planted at 10,206 feet in elevation.
Salta is part of the Calchaquí Valley, which benefits from more than 300 days of sun per year, subjecting its vines to considerable ultraviolet radiation. The valley experiences strong high altitude winds, even in the “lower” vineyards, which are planted at 5,413 feet. Because of these elevations and resulting extreme conditions, vines produce lower yields and thicker-skinned grapes, resulting in concentrated, aromatic and well-structured wines.
In a truly unique region, the highly aromatic variety, Torrontes, thrives; intense sun exposure allows full ripening, while cooling winds maintain the grapes’ acidity levels and phenolic balance.
Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, Syrah, and, particularly, Tannat have the most potential among reds.
Upscale hotels, beautiful colonial architecture, a majestic Andean backdrop and impressive food and wine make the area attractive among tourists as well.
Salta is the fourth most important Argentine wine-producing region after Mendoza, San Juan, and La Rioja. Its oldest vineyards were planted in 1862.