Ruca Malen has released a Petit Verdot of a 2013 vintage. Coming from a vineyard located in Argelo, Lujan de Cuyo, planted in 2000 with an average yield of 10 tons per hectare and picked 3rd week of April, this wine translates to “The house of the young girl” after a local legend of old tribes that inhabited the area. With a production of 28,131 bottles that were pre fermentative maceration done at 8°C for 5 days with 1 pigeage a day, this wine’s maceration was 28 days in contact with skin, 4 manual pigeages a day during the first 4 days of fermentation combined with 2 delestages done in those 4 days. The malolactic fermentation was in stainless steal tanks before going into the oak barrels. Aged for 12 months, 80% was in contact with French oak and the rest with American oak.
A deep ruby red eye and complex almost umami aromas reminiscent of plump and blackberries mixed with spicy earthy notes welcome you at first encounter. The time in oak barrels add further complexity and highlight vanilla notes leaving the palate strong and structured, overall created a great tipicity, persistent and rounded wine. A great pairing to red meats, preferentially hunting meats, dry and semi-dry cheeses sazonated with pepper and herbs. It has an aging potential of 7 years so invest now and either enjoy with a nice, hearty meal immediately or leave it on the shelf to later taste the wild.
