89-91 Pts Gary Vaynerchuk - @garyvee

"The 2005 Altitude is a spectacular and ripe wine that boasts a ripe red fruit elegance and a nice, rounded finish. What most excites me about this wine is that the body is medium to full and not only does it work well with many big meals, but this is the kind of wine that you can drink by itself." -89-91 points Gary Vaynerchuk

WINE:
"Bodega Monteviejo is owned and operated by Chateau Le Gay, of Pomerol. The wines made at this very special property in Argentina are treated with the same dedication and care as those produced back home in Bordeaux. The vineyards, over 100 hectares, are located in the commune of Tunuyan, just 80km south of the city of Mendoza. The goal here is to create wines that can compete with the world's best."

"Altitude 1050 is made at Monteviejo, one of the leading estates in Argentina. This was a project that was initiated by several talented Bordeaux winemakers and chateau owners, including Catherine Pere-Verge from Chateau Montviel in Pomerol and Michel Rolland, the world-famous oenologist." -Importer

GRAPE:
"Malbec, black grape variety once popular in Bordeaux, still the backbone of Cahors, but given a new lease on life by its obvious success in Argentina. It has many synonyms, of which Galet cites as the true name Cot..."

"It is in Argentina that Malbec really holds sway, planted on more than 20,000 hectares/ 50,000 acres of vineyard in most of Argentina's wine regions, making it the country's most important serious wine grape. Varietal Argentine Malbecs have some perceptibly Bordelais characteristics, of which flavor rather than structure. The wines are generally much more ripe and lush than their French counterparts, although they are similarly capable of ageing here." -Jancis Robinson, The Oxford Companion to Wine