2013 Colome Altura Maxima Malbec
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Tasting notes
(14.9% alcohol; from a 2007 planting on granite and calcaire soil at an altitude of 10,200 feet): Bright dark ruby. Aromas of black cherry, licorice and salty minerality show a distinct but subtle note of roasted berries. Plush, rich and deep but not overly sweet, with its very concentrated red and darker berry flavors enlivened by brisk, high-altitude acidity and complicated by a saline quality. Delivers a lovely refined texture without any heaviness. A gripping wine of great distinction and terroir character. With 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this very dense Malbec revealed Syrah-like nuances of charcoal, game and black olive without losing its light touch.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Just 20 barrels. Vineyard at 3,100 m on calcareous and granite soils planted 2007. 100% Malbec. All about altitude. Higher UV = thicker skins. Concentration but also freshness and high – 20 ºC – thermal amplitude. Two years in French oak but none new. On the nose there is a ripeness like roasted potato skins. Rich, ripe and intense. Lots of spice and great intensity. Very ripe but with a notbale spicy grip and a dry texture with the finest of tannins. Power and length. Less finesse than the Autentico but more power and length. Moreish, mouth-watering, needs steak. (JH)
I was really looking forward to tasting the 2013 Altura Máxima Malbec, as I was blown away by the inaugural 2012, previewed this 2013 one month before bottling and I hadn't had the chance to encounter the wine since my visit to the vineyard some 16 months ago. 2013 was slightly a wetter year (210 liters versus the average 125) and the temperatures were milder, so it provided for fruit-driven wines with good acidity and firm tannin. The nose is so spicy and meaty that the best word to describe the first impression is like going into a "salumeria" in Italy, the shops where they sell their delicious "salames." Smelling it just made me hungry, with plenty of savory notes that reminded me of concentrated yeast extract (Marmite or Bovril), terribly spicy and pungent. The vines were planted in 2007, and in 2013 they harvested the grapes slightly earlier than in 2012. The yields are naturally low, as the vines are still finding their balance. The vinification is soft but long, and so is the élevage, extended to two years in well-seasoned neutral barriques. This is really rich and heady, developing layers and layers of aromas and especially a superb texture and a tactile sensation that reminded me of velvet. Floral, with plenty of wild herbs that transported me to the place, this is one of the most distinct and unique Malbecs from Argentina. The Malbec that dreams are made of! I cannot even think what this wine could be like when the vines mature... 6,900 bottles were filled in August 2015 after two years in fourth use French oak barriques.