2003 Andeluna, Andeluna Cellars

Mendoza, Argentina

Color: Red
Name: Andeluna
Vineyard: Andeluna Cellars
Type: Malbec
Origin: Mendoza, Argentina
Year: 2003
Price: $13.00
Rating: 5.1
Pocho's Pick
Review: Spectacular wine. I love it.
90 pts Wine Spectator 5/15/06
 Polished style, with raspberry and boysenberry fruit layered with mocha and cocoa notes. Rich finish. Drink now through 2008. 940 cases made.
 86 pts Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Nov/Dec 2005
 ($23) Ruby-red. Aromas of black raspberry, currant, leather, woodsmoke, licorice and pepper. Moderately ripe, supple and fine-grained, with decent nuance and flavor definition. Slightly green and pinched on the end, but less aggressively dry than the Winemaker's Selection reds, and the other Reserve bottlings, from this new producer.
Comments: Located on 200 acres of the Reina Rutini family’s best vineyards lies the state-of-the-art winery of Andeluna Cellars, complete with the most advanced equipment and cellars. The winery building itself covers an impressive 48,000 square feet. It has a one million liter tank capacity, a 1,200 barrel aging capacity, and a 720,000 bottle storage capacity.
 
 Set among the foothills of the Andes, Andeluna Cellars is a remarkably beautiful place to behold. Visitors enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding areas, and dine on deliciously authentic Argentine cuisine created in our restaurant-style kitchens and served in our elegant dining facilities. There are four separate tasting areas to enjoy, and a walk on the grounds is the perfect way to experience the rich history and tradition of the winery while enjoying Argentina’s finest wines.
 
 Visitors can taste several of the wines of Andeluna Cellars, most notably the Winemaker’s Selection Malbec and the Reserve Malbec, made from Argentina’s signature grape. They may also have an opportunity to enjoy our other varietals such as classic Cabernet Sauvignon, rich Merlot, refreshing Chardonnay, Limited Reserve Cabernet Franc, and our exclusive Grand Reserve Bordeaux-style blend, Pasionado.
 
 When visiting the Andeluna Cellars winery, it’s easy to get swept up in the tradition of the Old World and the excitement of the New. The romance and passion of Argentina is not only present in our wines, but also in the winery where they are created.
 
 Andeluna Cellars combines over 125 years of Argentine winemaking heritage and world-class vineyards to produce Argentina's Finest Wines™;. Andeluna means Andes Moon and our label recalls the romance and mystery of the moon rising above the vineyards and winery in the Tupungato Valley. Our winemaking tradition and passion is proudly reflected in every bottle of Andeluna wine.
 
 Vineyards
 Our 2003 Reserve Malbec is made from premium grapes grown at an elevation of approximately 4,200 ft. in the foothills of the Andes. The high altitudes, wide temperature range, constant sunshine and excellent soil characteristics of this area produce grapes that enable the production of wines identified by exceptional color intensity, important aromatic expression and ideal structure.
 
 By carefully controlling the canopy and irrigation of selected vineyards, we were able to produce grapes clustered in small bunches that yield less than 8,000 kilos per hectare. During the growing cycle we performed a tightly controlled concentrated polyphenolic maturation process and daily testing. The grapes were harvested manually during the early morning and placed in bins for careful selection in the winery.
 
 Winemaking
 After selecting the very best bunches, the grapes underwent a destemming process before being moved to stainless steel tanks. Following a 20% drawing off process, pre-fermentative maceration at low temperatures was performed and fermentation at controlled temperatures of 79°F through selected yeasts, three daily pumping over activities and from one to two delestages per day. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for twelve months, and then aged six more months in the bottle.
 
 Tasting Notes
 This wine has great color intensity with purplish tones and is medium bodied and balanced. It
 exhibits aromas of intense fig and ripe red fruits, with flavors of fig and plum and notes of vanilla and
 chocolate that complement soft, elegant tannins.

The Nillni's Great Wine Tasting Adventure

2003 Andeluna, Andeluna Cellars