"Malbec co-fermented with Cabernet Franc.

2017 was a warm and poor vintage, with small crop levels. The resulting wines have a serious personality, as well as obvious and expressive aromas of wildflowers, damp earth, spices and chalk dust.

La Craie represents the strong limestone character of our vineyard in the Monastery. At first, this wine is always tighter than Iubileus, so it needs time to open up in the glass. It has a tension and a linear acidity, which is more pronounced than that of Iubileus. We always highlight its depth and intensity.

The vineyard parcels, planted in high-density gobelets, are in the south-facing slopes of the Alabanza hill, at 1450 metres of altitude where the soils have the highest calcareous levels.

Yields are naturally low, 300 to 400 grams per vine (2-3 bunches per plant). Malbec and Cabernet Franc were hand-harvested during the last week of March. They were both destemmed and co-fermented in open-top old French barrels with indigenous yeasts. The maceration lasted 35 days with gentle daily piggeages. Aged for 16 months in the same oak barrels. Bottled without fining or filtering."
(persevines.com)

"Intense nose that combines stony mineral notes and intensely perfumed floral notes. Notes of green fig, dark cherry with leafy notes and a distinctly chalky texture which oozes minerality. Fine, elegant and delectable tannins. This is just crackling with vibrancy, bundles of concentration and an effortless elegance. One of Argentina’s finest, I am so excited to see this project blossoming over the coming years."
18.5 Pts
(Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com, Sept 2019)