Description

Araciel Malbec

The name Araciel means “Altar in the Sky,” a fitting nod to two distant vineyard sites that, despite being worlds apart, are shaped by strikingly similar conditions. One sits on hillsides in California’s Santa Maria Valley, within the San Rafael Mountains; the other lies along the eastern edge of the Andes in Mendoza, Argentina. Each location enjoys long stretches of sunshine, mild temperatures, and mineral-rich alluvial soil, an environment that lets Albariño thrive on the California side and Malbec flourish in Argentina. Because both areas function almost like cool-weather deserts, the grapes are allowed extra time on the vine. For the Malbec, that translates into fuller ripeness, deeper fruit character, and softer tannins, ultimately producing a wine that feels polished, fruit-forward, and well balanced.

The Malbec grapes for this bottling are grown at an elevation near 3,500 feet close to Alto Agrelo, in the southern stretch of Mendoza’s Uco Valley. This part of the valley runs a bit cooler than areas farther north, and the pairing of dry conditions, strong sun exposure, and loose, gravel-flecked alluvial soil creates near-ideal growing circumstances for a grape that can otherwise lean tannic and heavy-handed. What makes this particular site stand out is how fully the fruit matures physiologically before harvest, a process that mellows the tannin structure while retaining a broad spectrum of phenolic compounds. The resulting wine carries real weight on the palate, a deep, saturated color, and a natural acidity that stays in balance.

Work in this stretch of Mendoza dates back to 2010, when the winemaking team pinpointed an especially promising Malbec parcel on the western side of the Uco Valley near Alto Agrelo. The region’s extended, dry growing season gives the grapes ample time to ripen fully, which in turn softens Malbec’s typically assertive tannins into something smoother and more approachable. Cryo-extraction techniques are used during production to boost both color intensity and phenolic richness. Rather than sticking to a standard aging approach, the winemakers chose a solera system for this wine, layering together Malbec from a range of vintages going back to 2015. Each new vintage is blended into the existing base wine, known as “la madre,” while a significant share of the previous blend remains in the mix and continues aging alongside it. This ongoing cycle produces a wine with a consistent, layered personality that evolves year over year. Controlled fermentation, prolonged maceration, and time spent in both French and American oak round out the profile, contributing notes of vanilla and spice along with added softness and structural depth.

Araciel Malbec Notes to Your Senses:

• APPEARANCE: Deep garnet in color
• AROMA: Dried plum, blackberry, and leather lead the way, joined by touches of thyme, sweet anise, and black pepper
• TASTE: A rich, layered palate of ripe dark fruit, chocolate-covered cherry, thyme, and blackberry pie
• FINISH: Fruit-forward and lingering, with firm acidity and gentle tannins
• ABV: