2024 Malbec 'Gran Terroir', Zorzal

“Mountain Pulse Malbec.”

Intense ruby with vibrant violet hues, this high-altitude Malbec opens with remarkable aromatic depth and clarity. From its mountain vineyard at 1,350 metres in Gualtallary, it delivers a striking interplay of minerality, wild mountain herbs, oregano and fresh floral notes, layered with dark fruit and a subtle lactic creaminess from oak ageing. The rocky soils rich in calcium carbonate and granite bring a distinctive stony tension, while gentle notes of spice and wood frame the wine’s natural purity and aromatic complexity.

On the palate, it is richly coloured, textured and full of energy, a wine with real nerve and structure. Vinified partly as whole bunches in concrete and aged for 15 months in French and American oak, it balances density with freshness, offering layers of black plum and bramble fruit supported by lively acidity and firm, tactile tannins. The dramatic day-to-night temperature shifts of this high-altitude site give precision and lift, while slow ripening builds depth and polyphenolic maturity. The finish is long and expressive, savoury yet softly sweet-fruited, with lingering mineral tension and elegant oak spice.

For when: the grill’s hot and the evening stretches long.
Pairs with: flame-grilled steak, slow-cooked lamb, or smoky aubergine dishes.
If this wine were a place: a sunlit Andean vineyard where the air feels electric.

Zorzal is a boutique Argentine estate founded in 2008 by the visionary Michelini brothers in the Uco Valley’s high-altitude Gualtallary region. Their philosophy centres on minimal intervention and a deep respect for terroir, allowing site and soil to lead the conversation rather than heavy winemaking. Sourcing fruit from some of Mendoza’s highest vineyards, Zorzal crafts wines of clarity, tension and authenticity, modern Argentine expressions defined by purity, precision and a strong sense of place.