Valle de la Puerta Ichanka Malbec 2017
-
Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark ruby red in color, this wine shows ripe fruit characteristics of plum, blackberry
and mulberry with hints of mocha and vanillin oak. The palate is silky smooth with
juicy berry fruit balanced with soft and rounded tannins for an elegant long
finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A pretty malbec that shows brambleberries and citrus, as well as orange peel. Medium body, fine tannins and a fruity finish.
Agricultural engineer turned winemaker and motocross racing driver; Javier is one of those men whose energy never seems to run out. ?La Rioja’s desert is an unforgiving environment, where only the resourceful thrive. Working on farms, Javier put himself through college and landed a job as an intern at Valle de La Puerta, where he found his calling. Due to the estate´s remote location, Javier, with support from Julian (the company´s President and CEO) devised a plan: they would fly in consulting winemakers from around the country, learn all they could from their short visits and hustle until they could manage to do everything on their own. It payed off. Today he is head winemaker and estate manager. His La Puerta Bonarda Reserva has been selected by the Argentina Wine Awards as one of the top four wines of the country. He also has developed his own vineyards and launched his own line of wines labeled “Collovati”. The winery was built in 2002 to meet all the needs of modern winemaking, all stainless tanks and equipment,?adequate chilling and cooling, pneumatic bag press, controlled fermentation temperature, high quality wood treatments, pure yeast culture and inert gas use. ?This technology gives our team a huge say in the management and control of the quality of the wine. ?The winery started operations with the HACCP standards as part of its management ethos and Best Manufacturing Practices are in place to guarantee full traceability and quality control.
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.
As Argentina’s oldest wine-producing province, La Rioja’s focus is on the white variety, Torrontés Riojano. Here the large cooperative, La Riojana, makes several styles: an aromatic dry one, a late harvest, and a sparkling version.