Montes Alpha Malbec 2022

Montes is one of Chile's leading estates, and Montes Alpha Malbec comes from the Colchagua Valley, where the Coastal Range moderates the warm climate. Cooling afternoon breezes off the range and the wide swing between warm days and cool nights let the Malbec ripen fully while keeping freshness, giving deep colour and ripe, generous fruit. The vines are sustainably farmed. The wine is aged twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds vanilla, spice and a toasted edge that frames the ripe fruit. At 14 percent it is full bodied and rich. The colour is deep and saturated. The nose is generous, with ripe raspberry, black cherry in syrup and dried plum alongside vanilla and sweet oak spice. The palate is broad and plush, with ripe dark fruit, a cocoa richness, fine but ample tannins and a warm, spiced finish. Serve at 17 degrees, with a short decant. Its ripeness and structure suit grilled and roasted red meats and richer dishes.