“Altitude 969” 2021 – Doña Paula

The grapes to produce the “Altitude 969” Doña Paula were carefully destemmed in order not to crush the berries. Each variety was vinified with minimal intervention, in cement eggs. The egg shape helps to keep the liquid constantly in motion, so the temperature is more consistent and the lees remain in suspension. The resulting wine achieves a greater character and volume on the palate. Once the alcoholic fermentation was complete, the wines were blended and malolactic conversion took place. A brief maturation took place within the same cement egg before the wine was bottled early to retain freshness and the purity of fruit.

This wine takes its name from the average height of the selected parcels for this blend. The grapes come from Finca El Alto in Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo, where the Petit Verdot vines are planted at 1,030 metres above sea level in the stoniest plots which have the presence of calcium carbonate. The Bonarda vines are planted in the lowest part of the same vineyard, at approximately 908 metres’ elevation, where the soil is mostly clay with gravel and pebbles. The Malbec also comes from the same vineyard. The climate is characterised by its warm days and cool nights, with thermal amplitude of 14°C and an average annual rainfall of 250 millimetres.

Doña Paula is a leading, modern winery at the forefront of exploring and investing in new, high quality wine regions in Argentina. Established in 1997, they own all of their vineyards covering 700 hectares. These vineyard sites are located in the best subregions within Mendoza including Ugarteche, Altamira, Gualtallary and Tupungato. The vineyards have always been cultivated using sustainable methods which helps to maximise the true expression of terroir, and in 2019 the winery was certified as a sustainably managed winery by Bodegas de Argentina. Continuous innovation in vineyard management ensures Doña Paula produces top quality wines from one year to the next.