This Malbec was co-created with Santiago Garriga, a winegrower for Traslapiedra. The fruit is grown in La Consulta, one of the most highly regarded terroirs in Paraje Altamira, on the southern back of the Tunuyán River. Paraje Altamira is comparable to a Grand Cru. It is like a puzzle where sand, silt, clay, and calcareous stones are arranged very differently in each sector of the vineyards between 3280 and 3900 feet above sea level. Whereas Martin’s ‘Tupungato’ Malbec showcases the fresh, fruity side of Malbec by keeping it in only stainless steel, the idea with ‘Paraje Altamira’ was to showcase alluvial terroir in a delicate, finely textured wine exposed to old oak.
The grapes were hand harvested on the 17th of March in 20 kg cases and then brought back to the cellar for a cold pre-fermentation maceration at 46 degrees F. Spontaneous fermentation followed with 30% whole bunches and the rest de-stemmed at a maximum of 78 degrees F. Frequent punch downs were carried out over the course of 27 days, after which the wine was pressed off the skins and sent to old French oak for 12 months of aging. The wine was gently fined, filtered, and sulfured before bottling.