2016 Espiritu de Apalta Malbec

Despite the fact that in the past this was sold as a separate project, the aromatic, different and showy 2016 Neyen Malbec is a wine from Veramonte, and it's now presented as part of their portfolio. This is a very limited cuvée from extremely old vines that excelled in 2016. It has complexity, with a great perfume—meat, olive and spicy aromas that are captivating—and a soft, elegant, yet powerful palate. It feels young and primary, with superb balance. It has moderate alcohol and very good acidity. The nose turns peppery and more floral as the wine sits in the glass, with pungent notes of pink peppercorns (aguaribay) and a touch of mint. Really impressive. Unfortunately, the tiny vineyard only produced 762 bottles in 2016.