Bodega Colomé Lote Especial Finca Colome Bonarda 2020  £20.82

Bodega Colomé Lote Especial Finca Colome Bonarda 

Bodega Colomé was established in 1831 and is the oldest working winery in Argentina with one of the world’s highest vineyards. The winery is in the far north of Argentina in the Upper Calchaquí Valley and is thought to have been founded by the Spanish Governor of Salta, Nicolás Severo de Isasmendi y Echalar. Today, the winery has 140 hectares of biodynamically run vineyard planted at altitudes of between 1,750 and 3,111 metres above sea level. The ‘Lote Especial’ wines are made from ‘special parcels’ of fruit from the estate vineyards.

The fruit comes from a single plot in the Colomé vineyard that surrounds the winery, located at 2,300 metres above sea level in the Calchaquí Valley. The high altitude and large diurnal range (up to 25°C difference) ensure the grapes ripen steadily over a long growing season and retain good levels of natural acidity. The vines are trained in the Vertical Shoot Positioning system and planted on complex soils of sand, clay and granite. The area has very low rainfall and the vineyards have drip irrigation systems installed.

The grapes were harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard and then again at the winery on the optical sorting table. After fermentation in small stainless-steel tanks, the wine was aged in barrel for 12 months before bottling.

This wine is ruby red in colour with violet hues. On the nose, there are intense aromas of black and red fruits, with a touch of mint. This wine is concentrated and complex, with soft, round tannins and a great freshness on the finish.