2020 PerSe, Lubileus, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Argentina
Critics reviews
864 bottles were filled in December 2021.
The 2020 Iubileus comes from the northern exposure (the warmer exposure in the southern hemisphere) of the hill in Gualtallary, where Per Se has its vineyards, where the soils are a little deeper and help to cushion the heat from warmer years like 2020. There is a change in 2020: the wine didn't ferment in barrel like all the previous years but instead was in crylon vats, a sort of inert and very clean material that can be closed.
It matured in used 225-litre barrels for 16 months. The wine is open, expressive and floral, with 14.1% alcohol. They achieved harvesting earlier in the warmer and lower-yielding year (around March 10th) to avoid over-ripeness and too much concentration in the wine. It has fine tannins and feels approachable and gentle.
Drink 2023 - 2030
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (November 2022)
The 2020 Malbec Iubileus (from El Monasterio in Gualtallary, Uco Valley) was aged in neutral and used French oak. It is purple in the glass. The high-altitude grapes express themselves nicely with aromas of violet, lavender, sage, and mountain herbs against a backdrop of raspberry and blueberry. Lean and mouthwatering for a Malbec, the vivacious, chalky palate features a compact, intense flow with lasting primary flavour. The young, precisely crafted high-altitude wine will develop further in the bottle.
Drink 2023 - 2035
Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous.com (September 2023)
About this WINE
Per Se Vines
Mendoza
With its western borderline dominated by the Andes and its 146,000 hectares of vineyards representing 70% of the country’s wine production, Mendoza is Argentina’s biggest and most important wine-growing province.
Mendoza’s vineyards are a haven to Old World varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Bonarda, Sangiovese, Barbera, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. The province’s signature grape is Malbec.
Mendoza still produces large amounts of inexpensive wine for domestic consumption, as well as grape concentrate, but the sub-region of Luján de Cuyo stands out with some lovely velvety Malbecs, while the cool, gravelly Maipú is best for Cabernet Sauvignon.
The most exciting area in Mendoza for fine whites, however, is the Uco Valley, that has the highest vineyards, up to 1,200 metres above sea level. Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Chenin, Pinot Grigio and Torrontés fare particularly well in its cool climate. Its sub-region of Tupungato produces Argentina’s best Chardonnay.
Malbec
Known as Auxerrois in Cahors, Cot in the Loire and Malbeck in Argentina, this grape has undergone a mini renaissance in the last decade, largely fuelled by its success in South America. It used to be a staple component of the Bordeaux Blend, but it never recovered fully from the 1956 frosts and its plantings there have fallen by 75% as growers have replaced it with more fashionable, and crucially, more durable grapes.
It is still grown successfully in South West France where its most famous wine is Cahors. This wine used to be black as coal and tough as leather but improvements in viticultural and vinification techniques have led to riper, softer, more approachable wines that are now amongst the best of the region.
In Argentina it is widely grown and produces deep coloured wines with generous black fruit characteristics, balanced acidity and smooth tannins. It is either bottled on its own or as part of a Bordeaux blend. In Chile it is the 3rd most widely planted grape after Pais and Cabernet Sauvignon and tends to produce firmer, more tannic wines than its Argentinian neighbours. In Chile it is often blended with Merlot and Petit Verdot.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
The 2020 Malbec Iubileus (from El Monasterio in Gualtallary, Uco Valley) was aged in neutral and used French oak. It is purple in the glass. The high-altitude grapes express themselves nicely with aromas of violet, lavender, sage, and mountain herbs against a backdrop of raspberry and blueberry. Lean and mouthwatering for a Malbec, the vivacious, chalky palate features a compact, intense flow with lasting primary flavour. The young, precisely crafted high-altitude wine will develop further in the bottle.
Drink 2023 - 2035
Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous.com (September 2023)
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