Hermanos Domingo Molina Malbec/Tannat Cafayate 2011 750ml

Winery: Hermanos Domingo Molina

Region: Salta

One of the world's most fascinating and unusual wine regions has to be that of Salta, situated in the far north of Argentina. Found just twenty four degrees of latitude from the equator, Salta would undoubtedly be far too hot for vine cultivation were it not for the fact that it is also situated at an elevation of up to three thousand meters above sea level. As such, this odd balance manages to cancel out any negative climatic attributes, and results in a surprisingly ideal environment for growing several different grape varietals to full ripeness. The wines of Salta are celebrated for their fruit-forward nature, and the fact that they manage to express the freshness and mineral rich quality of their terroir in ways quite unlike any found elsewhere in South America.

Country: Argentina

It is said that the first Argentinian vines were planted in the Mendoza more than four hundred years ago by European settlers, and despite these early wines being used primarily for religious purposes, the fervor for wine making never left the area. Today, Argentina is keen to demonstrate its technological prowess when it comes to vineyard cultivation, by combining traditional methods of irrigation left over from the Huarpes Indians with modern techniques in order to make the dry, arid desert an ideal environment for growing grapes. Indeed, these ancient irrigation channels, dug hundreds of years ago and still in use today, bring mineral-rich melt water from the Andes via the Mendoza river, something which gives the grapes grown in this region some of their character. The primary grape of this and other regions of Argentina is the Malbec, which is highly susceptible to rot in its native France, but which thrives in the dry and hot climate of South America, producing rich and plummy wines which are highly drinkable especially when young.