Estancia Uspallata, Mendoza (Argentina) Pinot Noir 2016

 This is definitely among the most surprising handful of wines that I tasted during 2020.  For starters, Mendoza is not among the locations associated with fine Pinot Noir, even within the relatively limited scope of Argentina, where Patagonia is considered much more promising for the variety.  Second, this wine is the stablemate of the remarkable Estancia Uspallata Malbec, which is virtually opaque and nearly black in color, whereas this wine shows a pale transparency akin to that of a Premier Cru Burgundy from, say, Savigny-Lès-Beaune.  Third, despite its appearance, this is very firmly structured wine, taut with acidity and bolstered by grippy but fine-grained tannins.  Consequently, it really demands five years in the cellar to hit its stride fully, whereas the formidable looking Malbec is ready to rip right now.  It seems impossible to believe that the two wines were sourced from the same ultra-high-elevation vineyard, but that’s the fact of the matter.  My guess is that the high altitude combination of cool ambient temperature and very intense sunlight (with high photosynthetic ripening power) is what makes both of these wines extraordinary and possible in the same spot, provided exceptionally careful growing, which both evidently received.  Sock this away and shock your friends with this after another five years.