Bodega MALMA Patagonia Malma Extra Brut
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Suckling
James
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James Suckling
A balanced sparkling wine with sliced pear, strawberry and light bread dough. Medium body, fine bead and a fresh finish. Drink now. A blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay.
Malma Wines is a family owned company from Patagonia, the southernmost region of Argentina. The Viola family, founder of San Patricio del Chañar wine valley, runs the winery and, since 2019, they have another patagonic icon, Hans Vinding-Diers, as their wine consultant. The family has a 20 year history in the wine industry. It is a young one, but it is the history of viticulture in Neuquén province. Julio started planting the vines back in 1999 and in 2003 Julio jr. and Ana jumped in together with Pedro, Ana´s husband.
All of Malma’s wines are grown and bottled in the 150 hectare estate allowing a close control of everything that goes on in the field and micro manage the vineyard according to soil, varieties and the results of their research.
As developers of this wine region, they have love and respect for the land and the people and work every day to develop sustainable practices both agricultural and social like using pomace and cardboard for composting and as a heat source for the families that live in the estate.
San Patricio del Chañar used to be virgin steppe and by planting vines and installing drip irrigation it became a wine valley that already has a name of it’s own.
What makes Patagonia Unique? its wind, the low humidity and scarce rain that allow us to grow their grapes in a healthy way, the water that comes from the Andes as the mighty Neuquén river, the extreme latitude that is responsible for the great temperature drop that takes place during the nights. Patagonia is also a place of enormous extensions, sparsely populated, with wild landscapes and a name that is recognized as a synonym of nature all over the world.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
One of the most southerly regions on the globe for fine wine production, Patagonia has experienced extraordinary vineyard expansion since the early 2000s.
Patagonia vineyards occupy the lower foothills of the Andes at 1,000 to 1,600 feet. Here cold air drops at night from incredibly steep elevations—the Andes reach well over 15,000 feet in this zone—a phenomenon that produces drastic diurnal shifts. Cold nights contrasted with hot summer days produce grapes with striking color, full ripeness, great finesse and aromatic intensity.
Favored for its luxury brands, the Patagonia wine growing region of Argentina focuses on a diverse array of international varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillón and Viognier among the white grapes, and Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon for reds.