The Vision of Hervé Birnie Scott: Elevating Malbec to New Heights
Three decades ago, before the winemaking potential of Argentina was known, Hervé Birnie Scott and fellow pioneers understood that by going higher you achieve better. Armed with an antique military altimeter, they planted vineyards in the pristine Andes foothills at higher elevation than ever before, seeking a cooler climate for grapes to ripe more slowly and deliver the finest fruit expression. With a strong conviction that great wines are grown, not made, the team began to identify sites where high elevations could offer a high-risk but high-reward climate that would show the world the true potential of Andean mountain wines. Hervé Birnie Scott, founder of Terrazas de los Andes noted, “We learned that Malbec needs to have its head in the clouds. So, we put its head in the clouds.”
Crafting Exceptional Wines at the Summit of Finca El Espinillo
Extremo Malbec is the flagship wine of Terrazas de los Andes, a wine that embodies the philosophy and purpose of its founder. It originates from their highest vineyard, Finca El Espinillo, located at 1,650m above sea level. This vineyard has never been treated with herbicides and is nestled within a mountainous ecosystem, where integrated organic and regenerative management is paramount. Here, a unique Malbec is produced, marking a new milestone for this grape variety and revealing the magic of high mountain terroirs. Given the uniqueness of this terroir, classified as Winkler 1, a completely different Malbec is obtained compared to lower altitude Malbecs.
Clay Amphorae and Whole Clusters to Enhance Malbec's Unique Expression
Vinified and bottled independently since 2017, in 2021 they reviewed their winemaking to meet the needs of this delicate gem. Their ally was clay amphorae which provided gentle but consistent micro-oxygenation, preserving the Malbecs natural reductive character and enhancing its natural thiolic aromas. Whole clusters were also introduced to accentuate its unique fruit-herb intensity. The result is a wine that, when tasted, transports one directly to the vineyard, to its biodiversity, to the native vegetation carried by the wind, filling the pathways with the fine mountain sand. It suggests cold nights and winter scenes where the snow blanket is entirely white. Due to the extreme nature of this terroir, it may not be possible to produce this wine every year, as early and late frosts are a perennial threat. Nevertheless, on each occasion, when nature permits, this vineyard creates an exceptional wine. Hervé Birnie-Scott notes, “It doesn't smell or taste like Malbec. This wine doesn't fit in any matrix, it defies all logics of winemaking”.
