The Nuna vineyard (3,150 ft. elevation) in Agrelo is Chakana's first Demeter certified organic vineyard. Nuna means "soul" in Quechua.
This has a brambly array of ripe red berries and blackcurrants, leading to a palate with very smooth, supple tannins holding blueberry flavors. Long and fresh.
The natural pairing to Argentina's meat.
"Blended from lots of different plots in Chakana’s Agrelo holdings, this is a great value Malbec that has backed off on both the oak and the alcohol in recent years. Perfumed and well balanced, it’s an elegant, refined red with a streak of greenness adding freshness to the finish. 2019-24"
- Tim Atkin, Argentina Special Report 2018, 92 pts
"Paz Levinson: Concentrated and pristine black fruit. This is a fresh and lively Malbec. Patricio Tapia: A great example of the grape: refreshing, filled with cherry notes and has a generous finish, with radiant red fruit and spicy black pepper."
- Decanter (Great value Malbec from Argentina: A buying guide, September 2018), 90 pts
"The 2017 Nuna Estate Malbec was produced with grapes from Agrelo. Fifty percent of the wine matured in oak barrels for eight months, and the rest was kept in tank. Most of the 2017s have nicely integrated oak, as is the case here, along with some fine-grained tannins and shy varietal character. 240,000 bottles produced."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #237, June 2018), 88 pts
"Bright medium ruby. Aromas of blackberry, coffee and chocolate, plus a hint of licorice. Ripe and creamy but nicely framed by harmonious acidity and lifted by chalky minerality. This savory, expressive wine, made entirely in concrete tanks, tastes sweeter than its 1.8 g/l r.s. would suggest thanks to its fruit intensity; it's easy to drink and not at all tiring. - Stephen Tanzer"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (June 2019), 88 pts
"Confirming the shift in style at Chakana, away from oak and higher alcohol towards more elegant, refined Malbecs, this is floral and subtle, sustained by acidity and complemented rather than overwhelmed by vanilla spice. Sappy and refreshing. 2017-22"
- Tim Atkin, Argentina 2017 Special Report, 92 pts
"Considerable the effort required to achieve freshness in a warm place like Agrelo, where generally the fruit is dark and the flavors, sweet. Manifesting red fruits, and above all earthy notes and a firm and sinewy texture. A different facet of a classic region. 80% of the wine is aged in concrete tanks, the remainder in used oak barrels."
- Descorchados 2018, 92 pts
Chakana is a family owned winery located 960 meters (3,149 feet) above sea level at the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Agrelo, Mendoza. It is one of the leading ...
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