ATTLEBORO • NORWOOD • STURBRIDGE • SWANSEA
Amalaya Malbec
I want to apologize to all the Malbec and red wine drinkers. We had the opportunity to buy 78 cases of this highly rated high-altitude Malbec that we could sell along with a MIR for a final cost of under $7. Writing this article is like standing on the beach and watching that really big wave, a tsunami forming, and knowing what kind of devastation it is going to cause when it gets here. All of our four stores have a good inventory of this Malbec, and each will sell out within a couple of hours. Why you ask, do we inflict this kind of pain on ourselves? Well, it is really all your fault. There are not a lot of retail liquor stores that distributors can go to with 100 cases that can sell out within a few hours. Usually, they have to sell in the product, set up displays, conduct many in-store tastings, and slowly watch the product ooze out over a long period of time. It is because of you, our faithful readers, that these distributors go out of their way to come to us with these tremendous values. The long of it is, don't get frustrated with these offers selling out so quickly; it is because of the collective 'you' that it happens. And I want to thank you very much for creating this problem that keeps me gainfully employed.
Here is a fun fact you probably already know. Not all Malbecs are created equal. The quality of Malbec fruit has a lot to do with where it is grown, soils, weather, and how much water it gets. A significant defining variable is how high above sea level the vineyards are. Higher elevations amplify the sun's rays, so the grapes produce thicker skins to fight against its powerful rays. The fruit is exposed to warm days and very cool nights, which allows the fruit to reach full ripeness while developing excellent acidity and allowing for longer maturation times, creating more refined tannins. Also, mountain berries are smaller berries and make more intense wine. 
This was the guiding philosophy that brought Donald Hess in 1996 to a remote and rugged section of Argentina's Northern Calchaqui Valley, where some vineyard sites could top 10,000 feet in elevation. He bought Colome, a winery that went back to 1831 and boasted some of the highest vineyards in the world, and is the oldest continually producing winery in Argentina. It was here that Hess started a side project of Colome that eventually evolved into its own distinct winery. Amalaya, which translates to "hope for a miracle" in the native language of the area, is entirely appropriate since it seems that it would take a miracle to get anything to grow, let alone grape vines, in a region where the altitude alone presents its own challenges. That miracle was the discovery of water in the extreme, high desert landscape of Argentina, which allowed for careful cultivation of vines on soil never sown before, not even by the Incas.
Bodega Amalaya was born in 2010 in the high-altitude plains of the CalchaquĂ­ Valley in Northern Argentina's Salta Province. The winery is ideally located at the foot of the San Isidro Mountain at 1700 meters overlooking the picturesque village of Cafayate. This project is now in the hands of Donald Hess's successors, Larissa and Christoph Ehrbar. They believed in Cafayate terroir to craft fresh, vibrant, contemporary high-altitude wines with character and depth. Each year the rainfall is only around 150mm; it also has a significant diurnal swing (the difference between the high and low temperatures in one day.) Poor, rocky, and sandy soils create a location perfect for hardy vines that make a unique wine not found in the mass-produced Malbecs of Mendoza.
Amalaya has two vineyards to draw from, both farmed organic. San Isidro vineyard sits right below the winery at the foot of San Isidro mountain, while Las Mercedes is just outside Cafayate on the road to San Carlos. Together the vineyards are home to 265 acres of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Bonarda, Syrah, Torrontés, and Riesling. Average daytime temperatures are 90 degrees and drop to 64 degrees by night. This significant swing allows the grapes to re-energize and keep their optimal acid/ripeness balance.
I visited Cafayate a couple of years ago and was amazed at how different it was compared to Mendoza, which produces 70% of all the wines in Argentina. Cafayate is much smaller, located 700 miles north of Mendoza. The city still has a very rustic, small-town vibe, and an afternoon sitting at a café on the main square makes for good people (and donkey) watching. The Cafayates were a tribe of the Diaguita-Calchaquí group, which inhabited the Valles Calchaquíes before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores. The area is steeped in history and lore. The name Amalaya is rooted in the beliefs of the Calchaqui to keep the gods of nature happy. To strive for an equilibrium of forces and to assure sustainability over time. The most worshiped goddess is "Pachamama," or "Mother Earth," who presides over planting and harvesting. The Calchaqui created many rituals and ceremonies to please Pachamama and would ask the goddess for a miracle. This "hope for a miracle" is called "Amalaya" in the popular indigenous language and is symbolized by the holistic spiral. For the winemakers of Amalaya, they continue to respect Pachamama by treating all their vineyards sustainably. So in a roundabout thinking, this wine is a miracle asked for from Mother Earth. How do you spell circuitous?
From The Winery
Brilliant ruby color with violet edges. Strawberries, raspberries, and ripe fruit with a touch of pepper and spices aromas and elegant floral notes. In mouth, flavors of red fruit, spice, and hints of vanilla from aging in French oak. Very nice freshness. Round, soft tannins lead to a delicate, lingering finish.

Varietals: Malbec 85%, Tannat 10%, and Petit Verdot 5% Ageing: 25% of the wine was aged 8 months in French Oak barrels.
Accolades
Focused and vibrant nose of blackcurrant, leather, polish and damson notes. Pleasant palate with fine-grained tannins and oaky spices. Decanter 91 pts

I love the ultra young and fleshy 2020 Malbec that, in reality, contains 10% Tannat and 5% Petit Verdot. It's ripe without excess and was bottled after one-fourth of the volume spent eight months in oak barrels. So, the effect of the oak is not noticeable in the aromas or flavors, and the wine comes through as fruit-driven and juicy while still keeping the varietal profile. They produced no less than 720,000 bottles of this wine. It was bottled in September 2020. Wine Advocate 90 pts
This Week's Wine Insider Offer
Amalaya Malbec 2020 

To be fair, we had tried this wine a while back, and I remembered liking it, but my dance card was full at the time, so it fell into the grey ether of my mind. Not to be put off, our salesman came back at us with a take-it-all type of deal along with a $30 MIR rebate. So Tim and I tried the wine again, and I am delighted we did. This Malbec is not a typical over-ripe Mendoza Malbec that is so common at this price point. The added Tannat and Petit Verdot definitely add heft and power to the generous dark fruit in the nose and on the palate. It had what Tim called a spice-box attribute to the wine, along with tobacco notes, noticeable acid to keep the fruit alive, and mild tannins with a long bitter cherry finish. Astonishing complexity for a wine at this price. At a final cost of $6.50 bottle, these 78 cases will sell out very quickly. Again, I am sorry; you can't fault me for doing my job, which is finding great wine at great prices. 
Regular Price: $13.99
*Sale price is on 12 or more bottles
$30 Mail in Rebate on 12 bottles
Final Cost after MIR is $6.50 a bottle.
Limit one case per customer
Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case
How To Place Your Order
To order, simply send an email to your preferred Yankee Spirits superstore with one of the addresses to the right, along with:

Your Name
So we know who to hold the order for and your name is not always obvious by your email.

Desired Quantity
So we know how much to hold.

How'd you like to pay
Let us know what payment options you'd like...

  • Unpaid Hold: We can hold orders as unpaid for the duration of this promotion, but cannot guarantee fulfillment on them.
  • Credit Card: Please don't send credit card information via email.

All request are processed during business hours and in the order they are received. We'll confirm your order via email within 48 hours and when it is ready for pickup. Unless otherwise specified, promotional pricing ends two weeks from email send date.
YANKEE SPIRITS
STORE LOCATIONS
James Taylor
Don Ackerman
John Hannum
Barbara Holt
Pricing is subject to change without notice once this promotion ends in two weeks or when we run out of product. Whichever comes first.
Place your order now with the store contacts above, while you've got all the information at your fingertips.

Cheers!

John Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist
Attleboro
628 Washington St.
Norwood
942 Providence Hgwy.
Sturbridge
376 Main Street.
Swansea
207 Swansea Mall Dr.
Monday-Thursday
9AM to 9PM
Friday-Saturday
9AM to 10PM
Sunday
10AM to 6PM
We reserve the right to limit quantities. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase/consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Not responsible for typographical errors. Rebate quantities are subject to limitation by the manufacturer. These alcoholic beverages may be subject to payment of Connecticut or Rhode Island Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Connecticut Use Tax, and may be subject to seizure as contraband.