Bodega Colomé Altura Máxima Salta Pinot Noir 2021
At a staggering 3,111 metres above sea level, ‘Altura Máxima’ is one of the world’s highest vineyards and represents viticulture at its most extreme. Despite Hess being labelled “loco” (mad) by many for even contemplating such a feat, he acquired the land and planted there in 2004. The team created a dirt track through the wild and remote scrubland to reach this previously inaccessible vineyard. The extreme conditions proved too challenging in the early years, but fortune favoured the brave and in 2012 they released their first ‘Altura Máxima’ wine. The ‘Altura Máxima’ Pinot Noir, sourced from three different plots in the vineyard, is made with one-third whole bunch fermentation and spends 12 months ageing in fourth-use French oak. Perfumed with aromas of blackcurrant and raspberry, complemented by floral and spicy notes. On the palate, it is herbal, complex and concentrated with fresh acidity and good tannic structure.