Inkarri 90 Point Organic Malbec
There once was a time when the phrase “90 Point Organic Malbec” would have rarely, if ever, been uttered in the world of wine. But with our Inkarri wines from Proviva in Argentina recently receiving high praise from three of the toughest wine critics, it’s time to throw away any leftover notion that organic wines are inferior. Taking their sustainability commitment even further, Inkarri wines are Demeter Certified Biodynamic. Proviva knows that Biodynamic winemaking allows for the highest expression of the grape, and the resulting wines are certainly living up to their expectations.
Luis Gutiérrez of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate gave high praises to the 2016 Inkarri Winemaker’s Reserve Malbec: “Fresher, subtler and with nicely integrated oak, the 2016 Inkarri Winemaker’s Selection Malbec was produced with grapes grown in Altamira in the Valle de Uco, where the wines tend to be lighter. 2016 was a rainy and cool year that resulted in elegant wines like this one, which is floral and fruit-driven. It was aged in 3,000- and 5,000-liter oak vats for 12 months. 25,000 bottles were filled
in September 2017.” 90 PointsAnd the Inkarri Estate Bottled Malbec: “In general, I feel like this new range has a lot less oak than the other wines, and the 2017 Inkarri Malbec is a good example of that. It’s fruit-driven and floral, with the majority of the wine kept in concrete and only 25% of the volume aged in barrique. Varietal, fresh and pleasant.” 89 Points
Inkarri 90 Point Organic Malbecs Produced by Proviva
Proviva is a family owned and run winery located at 960 meters of altitude on the foothills of the Andes in Agrelo, Mendoza. It is one of the leading projects among the new generation of winemakers dedicated to the discovery and expression of the Andean diversity of climate and soils. Founded in 2002 by Juan Pelizzatti, a son of Italian immigrants with historic roots in northern Italy’s viticulture, under the guidance of Gabriel Bloise, a young and adventurous winemaker, Proviva has developed a wine style that has become renowned for its purity, authenticity and true taste of place.
Proviva embodies the quest for a wine identity that is both original and authentic. Their estate-grown wines are produced exclusively from organic and Biodynamic vineyards located in the best terroirs of Mendoza. The resulting varietal wines are the purest expression of the region’s outstanding calcareous soils. Organic and Biodynamic agriculture guarantee a viticulture with no inputs, where vines authentically express the character of place.
Inkarri vineyards are situated in the small village of Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo, “the home of Malbec.” Agrelo’s terroir is considered to be some of the best in Mendoza for the production of complex red wines made from Malbec. Based in the western foothills of the Andes mountains, the wine-producing zone of Agrelo slopes upward from the town, with slopes reaching more than 3,000 Feet (1000m) above sea level. The region has a dry, desert-like climate, situated in the rain shadow of the Andes. Warm, sunny days are followed by much cooler nights due to cold winds that flow from the snow-capped Andes. This desirable diurnal shift of temperatures extends the ripening period and produces wines with balanced acidity and complex flavor profiles.
Demeter Certified Biodynamic Wines
Proviva’s winemaking style promotes minimum intervention in the winery by using indigenous yeasts, minimizing the use of sulfur and other additives and selecting porous materials for wine ageing – large volume barrels and unlined cement vats which are adapted to local varieties in order to preserve the character of a specific vineyard plot. Proviva’s dedication is summed up as “Viticulture for the Future” – Organic, Biodynamic, Non-GMO, Vegan-Friendly, quality wines with constant innovation and a true LOVE for nature. Inkarri is the first line of Biodynamic wines from Argentina with nationwide distribution in the U.S. and is also Fair for Life certified, committed to both social responsibility and fair trade labor practices. Additionally, Inkarri wines are the only Argentinian wines to be Non-GMO Project Verified.
Inkarri takes its name from the post-Columbian myth of the return of the Inca king, which symbolizes a return to the origins. At Proviva they understand Biodynamic agriculture is a holistic approach to farming and winemaking. The Demeter Biodynamic certification therefore serves as a guarantee to the consumer of low input, soil-enlivening and identity preserving practices that go beyond “commercial” organics. And the critics seem to agree!