High Note Malbec 2020

Altitude is everything. High Note hails from the foothills of the Andes mountain range, where altitude is essential in providing our vineyards with the perfect combination of intense sunlight and cool temperatures. Crafted in the Vista del Sur winery by renowned winemaker Leopoldo Kuschnaroff, High Note wines offer high altitude and high quality wines at an exceptional value. Located high in the Andes foothills of Argentina’s famed Uco Valley of Mendoza, Vista del Sur is a state-of-the-art winery. Its vineyards are among the highest in the world, ranging in altitude from 3,300 to 5,000 feet. Here the grapes enjoy the perfect combination of growing elements; intense desert sunlight contrasting with cool nightly temperatures. Low humidity and dry, sandy soil with excellent drainage provides the fruit with a slow and balanced ripening cycle, resulting in balanced acidity and concentrated flavors. These conditions also protect the vines against disease and provide a long, dry season for low yields of small grapes, concentrated in flavor, color and tannins. Vista del Sur was designed from vine to bottle to enhance the quality of the wine it produces. The winery is one of the few facilities utilizing specially designed small tronco-conic tanks, and the only winery to produce all of its wine exclusively with these tanks. Leopoldo Kuschnaroff hails from a family of farmers, born of Ukrainian immigrants to Argentina. A true son of the Mendoza wine region, he graduated trade school with a degree in winemaking in 1999, followed by a master’s degree in viticulture from the prestigious Cuyo University. His prime philosophy and goal as a winemaker is to make wines reflective of the terroir, a challenge which enables him to experiment with the different microclimates of the Uco Valley, perfecting wine that is truly representative of this region. Leopoldo has been working with the Catena family since 2007, joining the prestigious High Note brand in 2013.