2019 Domaine Nico ‘La Savante’ Mendoza Pinot Noir

WA95+ Even better than the amazing 2018 was the 2019 La Savante Pinot Noir, one of the most elegant and perfumed Pinot Noirs from Argentina. It comes from 1.45 hectares planted in 1994 with Pinot Noir clones 115 and 777 in the monastery zone of Gualtallary at 1,450 meters in altitude. It has a chalky texture, very stony and somewhat austere, insinuating, and a long and nuanced finish. 4,652 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2020.
JS95 Aromas of wild raspberries, mushrooms, white truffles, herbs and smoked meat. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tight-grained, seamless tannins. So silky and mouthwateringly savory, with forest-floor notes turning to spices and herbs. Salty undertones, too. Some bottle age will soften this. Drink after 2023.
VIN94 The 2019 Pinot Noir La Savante comes from a vineyard in Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was planted at a height of 4,750 feet, and was 1/5 fermented in whole bunches before aging for 18 months in 15% new barrels. A light garnet in the glass, the nose offers notes of mushroom, damp earth and sour cherry with extra character brought by the aging process, especially sweet spices, against a backdrop of rosemary and lavender. The skinny palate has an expansive flow with a silky texture and well-integrated, vibrant freshness that injects tension and profundity. Unusually delicate, the fruit is interwoven with the aging process throughout the loquacious finish.