Carmelo Patti Malbec

Carmelo Patti Malbec

WHY WE LOVE IT

  • Carmelo Patti’s bottling is a refreshing change of pace from most of its Mendoza peers. Arguably the best example of “traditional style” Malbec one can find in Argentina.
  • Everything here ferments with indigenous yeasts and the wines mature in well-seasoned oak barrels.
  • All wines are made naturally, with no chemical additives and minimal intervention. He was making natural wine before the category existed.

Varietal Composition: 100% Malbec

Elaboration: Fermented with native yeast and aged in concrete for 12 months and then moved to French Oak (mostly used) for 12 additional months. Unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: Being classic Malbec from Perdriel in Luján de Cuyo, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in a combination of concrete vats and used oak barrels, this wine shows round, juicy fruit and still primary flavors of ripe berries and faint spices, along with slight hints of cocoa and tea. The palate is sleek and lush, soft and caressing; easy to drink.

PRESS

2012 – 91 Wine Advocate / 2013 – 92 Wine Advocate / 2014 – 91 Wine Advocate / 2015 – 91 Wine Advocate

PRODUCER BACKGROUND

If you are lucky enough to secure an appointment, a visit to Carmelo Patti’s small, rustic winery in the heart of Lujan de Cuyo will without question be one of the more memorable wine tours of your life.

Carmelo is one of Mendoza’s great old-school winemaking personalities and runs every corner of this quirky operation himself. Originally brought to Argentina on a small boat from Sicily when he was one year old, Carmelo was a catalyst for the rebirth of fine wine production in Mendoza in the eighties and is, to this day, one of the most respected enologists in the country. Carmelo’s winemaking style is equally unique as his character, and he insists on holding all wine until he deems it “ready” for release which generally means 4-5 years after harvest at the soonest for reds. All wines are made naturally, with no chemical additives and only native yeast.

PRINT SHELF TALKER
PRINT review SHELF TALKER (2015 – 91 Wine Advocate)