2011 Imperfecto

The 2011 Imperfecto (3% Cabernet Franc blended into the Malbec, both from Gualtallary) is aged in new oak barrels from Mercurey. It was produced in a small winery in a small rented space. It is extremely dark, almost black and opaque, quite ripe and marked by the elevage. The nose is dominated by the toasty aromas of the barrel (it almost smells of coal), but you can practically feel the great concentration in the nose. What is surprising in this wine is the electric acidity you find when you put it in your mouth, which really lifts the wine and make the flavors of blueberries and violets linger on your tongue. This is what you get in a high-altitude place like Gualtallary: a big, ripe Malbec with great acidity which should make old bones. It is still very young and needs a little bit of time in bottle. Drink 2015-2020. In 2009 Daniel Pi, winemaker at Trapiche, started producing small quantities of wine with his sons. He ferments all the grapes with indigenous yeasts. His surname guaranteed that he’d be called 3.14 since he was a kid at school, so that’s the name he chose for his project. The wines are big and ripe but maintain a special freshness, especially in the wines sourced from high-altitude vineyards. No known American importer.