Staphyle Micro Terroirs El Cepillo Malbec 2020
Malbec from the lowest and coldest corner of Mendoza's Uco Valley, part of the Micro Terroirs range.
El Cepillo, Valle de Uco, Mendoza
Tim Atkin 2023 · 93 ptsDescorchados 2023 · 91 pts
Tasting notes
The nose is built on very ripe black fruit, threaded with herbal and floral notes. That pairing of ripeness and lift is characteristic of wines from mountain vineyards at the foot of the Andes.
Pairs with
- Grilled beef steak, such as rib eye or sirloin
- Lamb chops with rosemary and thyme
- Grilled pork neck with chimichurri
- Mushroom risotto
- Aged hard cheeses
Where it comes from
The Uco Valley lies south of the city of Mendoza, right beneath the Andes, and is among Argentina's highest wine regions. Malbec is Mendoza's signature grape: the dry, sunny climate with wide day–night temperature swings gives it ripe fruit while keeping it fresh. El Cepillo sits at the bottom of the valley, around 1,000 metres, yet it has the coldest climate for grape growing anywhere in the province, which makes it one of Mendoza's most demanding places to farm. Vines have been planted here for generations. They root in shallow loam, less than a metre deep, mixing sand, silt and limestone, above a layer of coarse stones. Staphyle's Micro Terroirs range bottles sites like this one individually.
Technical sheet
| Vintage | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Grapes | Malbec |
| Region | El Cepillo, Valle de Uco, Mendoza |
| Altitude | 1.000 m |
From the winery Staphyle
A third-generation Mendoza family with old vines in Agrelo and the first vineyard in the mountains of Potrerillos.