Tapiz Alta Collection Malbec 2017
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Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Impressive concentration and depth here, this has a sense of freshness and richness that sets it apart. The blueberries, cassis, blackberries and red plums pervade the nose and palate. The finish is suave, gently spicy and long. Drink or hold.
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Wine & Spirits
Cool acidity ripples through this violet-scented malbec, deep, rich and refreshing all at once. Grown at 4,430 feet in altitude, it captures both the abundant sun and the cool of the high Andes in its thirst-quenching juiciness while notes of spice, earth and herbs add detail.
Other Vintages
2019-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
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Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert
The Tapiz Winery, located in the San Pablo I.G. in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, has one of the highest vineyards in Mendoza at 4,600 feet above sea level. Under the ownership and vision of Patricia Ortiz, Tapiz is a pioneer in the region and helped develop San Pablo into one of Argentina’s most renowned IGs. The state-of-the art winery is located in the heart of the estate vineyards, at the foothills of the Andes Mountains.
The highly rated wines of Tapiz are made by the celebrated winemaking team of Fabian Valenzuela and famed Bordeaux winemaker Jean Claude Berrouet (winemaker of Petrus for 44 vintages). Their wines are a beautiful tapiz (tapestry) of terroir and innovation. Benefiting from the extremes of altitude, temperature, and soil heterogeneity, Fabian and Jean Claude are able to create wines that are full-bodied and concentrated, yet elegant and balanced.
Patricia Ortiz, an avid art collector and former nephrologist, has imparted the need to strive for both artistic and scientific excellence in winemaking. To that end her Zolo winery (Agrelo, Mendoza) and Tapiz winery (San Pablo, Uco Valley) are staffed with some of Argentina’s most passionate and successful wine professionals and the most state-of-the-art technology. Patricia has focused her efforts on creating sustainable winemaking. In addition to hiring one of Argentina's top winemakers (Fabian Valenzuela) and vineyard managers (Carlos Correas), Patricia also brought on Jean Claude Berrouet as consulting winemaker.
Her Zolo and Tapiz wines are two of the top selling and critically-acclaimed Argentine brands in the U.S. and each include Top 100 Wines of the Year. In 2022, Patricia won the La Nación's Women to the World prize. La Nación, Argentina's most important newspaper, chose Patricia for her groundbreaking work as a successful woman leader of the wine industry. Patricia is the owner and President of three wineries (Tapiz, Zolo, and Wapisa) and nine sustainably-farmed vineyards in different parts of Argentina and is the first female president of Bodegas de Argentina, the industry trade group. Patricia, who lived many years in the U.S. and speaks fluent English, is one of Mendoza’s top ambassadors to the world. In 2019 she became the first female President of Bodegas de Argentina and in 2023 she was nominated by Wine Enthusiast as Executive of the Year.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.