Zapam Zucum Malbec by Mauricio Lorca La Rioja, 2019

An organic Malbec grown at Vichigasta in La Rioja province. This is one of the driest wine growing regions in Argentina – and they are all pretty dry! Soils are very deep, daytime temperatures reach 35-40°C during summer and drop to 20°C at night. It is a windy region and this combined with just 150 millimeters of rain each year keeps organic grapes healthy. Zapam Zucum in local legend is a spirit in the form of a voluminous woman with black eyes and cascading dark hair who lives in the shadows and watches over the fruit on the vines. The 2019 is a medium bodied wine with aromas of Christmas cake, molasses, all spice and some red fruit. It has a pure linear structure with vibrant red fruits and a sour cherry finish, ripe tannins and persistence in the mouth.