2020 Lubileus
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Tasting notes
Iubileus comes from the central parcel of the Alabanza hill in the monastery's vineyard in Gualtallary. Soil comprises deposits of calcareous material and the topsoil is deeper than in the neighbouring plots. In the spring of 2019 there was a series of frosts in mid October, which meant production losses that were around 50%. Fermented at very low temperatures in neutral and used French oak barrels, rolling the barrels gently just once a day. The wine remained in contact with the skins for 35 days. After maceration, it was racked back to the same barrels for 16 months. Unfined and unfiltered. TA 7 g/l, pH 3.2. Deep, bright crimson. Stunningly fragrant. Essence of black fruit with just the slightest impression of crushed stones. Blackberry and blueberry without obvious sweetness. Chewy, chalky and refined elegance with a core of non-sweet, pure, fragrant fruit but not as floral as the Volare del Camino. A more savoury olive note as it opens but also a hint of peony perfume. The stone dust reduces the fruitiness on the finish. A surprisingly juicy wine even with the dry tannic finesse. Long, long finish. (JH)
Critic scores
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Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Malbec Iubileus (from El Monasterio in Gualtallary, Uco Valley) was aged in neutral, used French oak. 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 flavor. The young, precisely crafted high-altitude wine will develop further in the bottle.
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-liter 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. 864 bottles were filled in December 2021.