Country: Argentina  Region: Cafayate Valley  Vintage: 2021 Variety: Torrontés/Riesling Colour: White Producer: Amalaya PRODUCERAmalaya translates as ‘hope for a miracle’ in the indigenouslanguage of the now extinct tribe, the Calchaquí. The winery issituated in Cafayate, Calchaquí Valley in Salta in the far north ofArgentina at nearly 1,828 metres above sea level. It is a part of theHess Family Estates and is run with the same dedication to quality,sustainability and social responsibility as the other Hess Estates. Allof the Amalaya wines are fruit driven in style, with a finesse thatunites them. These wines offer incredible value for their quality andtruly reflect their ‘sense of place‘.VINEYARDSThe Torrontés and Riesling grapes were grown on the Finca SanIsidoro and Finca Las Mercedes vineyards. These are located inthe Cafayate Valley in the very heart of the Calchaqui Valley,distinguished for being the highest wine region in the world. Theclimate here is very dry, with just 150mm of rain in an average yearand a huge diurnal temperature change of around 20°C. The soilshere are rocky, poor and sandy so the roots of the vines areforced to dig deep to find the vital nutrients and water they need,which in turn results in a huge concentration of flavour within thefruit.VINIFICATIONThe grapes went through a double selection process, firstly in thevineyard and then again on the sorting table at the winery. Thegrapes are pressed without any maceration. A slow fermentationtook place using selected yeasts, for around 30 days at acontrolled temperature of 14°C, which helped to retain thevarietal fruit character. The wine was aged in stainless steel tanksfor three months before a further two months in bottle.TASTING NOTESThis wine is pale gold in colour with youthful highlights. On thenose, there are intense aromas of grapefruit and lemon peel,which is typical of Torrontés, balanced by a touch of mineralityand floral notes. On the palate, it has a crisp acidity with a long,mineral finish.