Ascencion Malbec

Malbec is loved for its intense, inky black fruit flavours cloaked in spice, and according to Simon Woods from FT Weekend, ''is Argentina's calling card. Nowhere else in the world, not even in its home territory of south west France, does Malbec attain the stature it does here''. The finest releases have placed the country firmly on the fine wine map. The credentials for this very exciting, barrel aged new release are extremely impressive. It comes from the Province of Salta and Argentina's oldest winery, now owned by multi millionaire Swiss born entrepreneur and winery magnate, Donald Hess. He is committed to promoting Argentina to the highest ranks of the fine wine world. It's named in honour of Ascencion, daughter of the estate's founder, who brought over the vines from Bordeaux and as a nod to the ever rising altitudes at which the vineyards are planted here. More and more, growers are discovering that planting at extreme altitudes, where it's cooler, combined with the reliable formula of sunshine boosts overall quality and flavour intensity greatly. The results, illustrated here, are impressive indeed. Caspar Eugster is the estate's winemaker, who combines traditional winemaking with local biodynamic techniques developed over more than two thousand years to craft a pure Malbec, which is both very concentrated, and elegant too.