2015 Chakana Red Blend Estate Selection Mendoza Argentina 750 ml

The “Most Compelling” Argentine Region

Chakana is a leader among the new generation of winemakers dedicated to the expression of the diverse Andean climate and soils, and the 2015 Red Blend Estate Selection has impressed all around, earning a glowing 94 from Tim Atkin MW, and 92 points from Vinous, which calls it “savory and fresh” and “alluring.” We can’t think of a better place for a Malbec or Cabernet lover to spend $20. Gualtallary is the fast-rising Argentine region that James Suckling says “is producing some of Mendoza’s most compelling wines.” This is where the jagged Andes seem to rise up out of the vineyards, and where the Pelizzatti family harvests the 2015 Chakana Red Blend Estate Selection. The blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon is grown at 5,500 feet of elevation, where the cool climate and intense sun result in wines that balance freshness and perfect ripeness.

The Pelizzatti family has high-altitude viticulture in their blood: Two centuries ago, their ancestors farmed the cool, terraced Alpine vineyards of Valtellina, Italy. So when it came time to revive the family legacy, the new generation could not have chosen a better place to call home than the perch of Mendoza, where they have gained a reputation as leaders among the forward-thinking winemakers exploring the region’s range of terroirs.

No site in Mendoza is receiving more attention right now than Gualtallary, which boasts some of the highest vineyards and most unique soils in the country, and is producing the most fascinating wines. This combination of sun intensity, coolness, and poor soils that contain a large amount of limestone and sand results, according to James Suckling, in “angular and mineral-driven wines.”

The Pelizzatti family’s vineyards in Mendoza are all either certified biodynamic and organic, or are being farmed according to those standards. The 2015 Chakana Red Blend Estate Selection consists of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, both grown on their 35 acre, 5,500-foot elevation site in Gualtallary. The wine begins ageing in large foudres and concrete vats, before being transferred to oak barriques for nine months—the Malbec sees old barrels, and the Cabernet sees new. Vinous calls the Chakana an “impeccably balanced, structured wine.” We call it a steal from one of the top terroirs in South America.