Kaiken Aventura Valle de Canota Malbec 2021

Kaiken Aventura Valle de Canota Malbec

Region: Valle de Canota, Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2021

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Malbec

ABV: 14.5%

Notes: Vegetarian, Vegan

This Malbec has an alluring character of precise red and black cherry fruit, lifted by fresh acidity with fine-grained, velvety tannins.

The Kaiken Aventura range celebrates Kaiken's ongoing exploration of new sub-regions and their regional differences within Mendoza. Located 22 miles from Mendoza city and surrounded by the Andean foothills, the Canota Valley was classified as a GI in 2019 (a 'Geographical Indication' signifys an area of particular quality). Although Kaiken planted vineyards in 2015, it is still largely unexplored with only a few producers operating in the Valley. It has very low annual rainfall and climatically is regarded as an Andean desert. The soil here retains moisture, thereby enabling viticulture. Harvest generally starts one month before the Uco Valley, which highlights the difference in climate between these sub-regions.

Kaikenes are wild geese, native to Patagonia, that fly across the Andes between Chile and Argentina. In the same way, Montes, the Chilean winery, crossed the Andes to set up in Mendoza. Their vineyards are situated in the heart of Mendoza and further to the south in Valle de Uco, where many of the premium producers are now sourcing their fruit. The focus is primarily on Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety that has been somewhat forgotten as Malbec has surfed one wave of success after another in the past decade. As a result, there are many old vineyards in Mendoza that produce excellent fruit. Kaiken's own vineyards supply 70% of their production requirements and 30% is from vineyards that they control.