Amalaya is an exquisite representation of the unique weather, altitude and soil conditions in Argentina’s Northern Calchaqui Valley, located in the province of Salta. The wines honour the heritage and religion of the indigenous Calchaqui people, which is to keep the gods of nature happy and to strive for an equilibrium of forces to ensure sustainability over time. The most worshipped goddess, “Pachamama,” or “Mother Earth,” presides over planting and harvesting and is prayed to each year for a miracle. This “hope for a miracle” translates to “Amalaya” in the local indigenous language and is symbolized by the holistic spiral. With respect to Pachamama, Bodega Amalaya is certified sustainable.
View Supplier PageSKU | 942342 |
Country | Argentina |
Region | Salta |
Type | White |
Varietal | Blend - Torrontes, Riesling |
Listing | Speculative |
Case Config. | 12x750ml |
Available In | BC AB SK MB |
Intense gold with greenish edges.
Subtle and complex fruity aromas where apple and floral notes outstand.
Sweet entry full of weight. Mineral notes and a touch of honey distinguish. The end is fresh with a kind acidity.
Pair this wine with seafood, spicy dishes and Asian food.
Where others just saw a desert, we foresaw great wines. In such a way Bodega Amalaya, the new expression of Cafayate, was founded. Amalaya is Donald Hess' new brainchild in Argentina, located in Cafayate Valley Northwestern Argentina, Province of Salta. The word "Amalaya" means "Hope for a Miracle" in the indigenous language. From the bosom of the Desert of Cafayate, this miracle becomes a mystical and magical revelation which offers us top quality grapevines. Vegan.
2022 -
"Lifted aromatics of lychee, white blossom, osmanthus honey, some melon and white pears. Crisp and tangy on the mid-palate with fresh acidity. 85% torrontes and 15% riesling. Vegan. Drink now. Screw cap."
2022 -
"The 2022 Blanco Torrontés-Riesling is made with 15% Riesling from Cafayate, Salta. Light green in color. The nose is entirely novel featuring gentle orange blossom, jasmine and tuberose notes with hints of herb and tropical aromas. It’s lean in the mouth with moderate freshness. A wine best drunk young."
2022 -
"The young and floral 2022 Blanco de Corte was produced with 85% Torrontés and 15% Riesling, two aromatic varieties where the Moscatel-like, orange-blossom aromas of the Torrontés dominate. It has moderate ripeness and alcohol (12.5%), keeping good freshness and mellow acidity and coming through as soft and tender. It finishes dry."
2021 -
Best Buy. "This Torrontés-dominant blend with a touch of Riesling gives up lychee, lemon peel and white flowers on the nose. The palate is a bit more austere, with some citrus notes and racy acidity. It's light in weight and good for a hot afternoon."
2021 -
"Perfumed with citrus and lifted floral jasmine, then to a palate underpinned with a creamy acidity."
2021 -
"Intense nose of lychee, grapefruit, mango, white peach, jasmine and elderflower. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a supple, creamy and peachy palate. 85% torrontes and 15% riesling, Vegan. Delicious now. Screw cap."
2021 -
"The 2021 Torrontés - Riesling Blanco De Corte is 85% Torrontés and the rest Riesling from Cafayate. Yellow in color with a nose of citrus, jasmine and muscat notes along with a hint of mint, it’s fresh and easygoing with good fat and tension followed by a citrus finish. Excellent as an aperitif."
2021 -
"Amalaya’s ultra-reliable white blend marries Torrontés from San Isidro with 15% Riesling from the Finca Las Mercedes. Drier than it tastes, this has some grip from partial skin contact, lime, green fig and tangerine flavours and a combination of texture and balancing freshness. 2022-24"
2021 -
"Very much the flagship white of Argentina (or should be), Torrontés - here blended with 15 percent Riesling, is best as a dry wine and usually shows off apricot style fruits. The blend here is quite dry with near honey like flavours, but apricots and a delicate spiciness too. Clean, easy, and refreshing, it pairs quite well with Vietnamese cuisine, and grilled pork."
2020 -
"Grown more than 1,800 meters above sea level at Finca San Isidro, this is a blend of 85% torrontés and 15% riesling that offers a crystalline and refreshing expression of a high-altitude white with its herbal and floral aromas (the imprint of torrontés dominates) in a body that, while succulent, has firm and juicy acidity. This is one for shrimp curry."
2020 -
"The 2020 Blanco Amalaya is a Torrontés blended with 15% Riesling from Cafayate in the Calchaquí Valley and is made in a modern style. It has attractive aromas of basil, orange blossom, orange peel and jasmine. In the mouth it is fatty with vibrant freshness packaged in an impactful but subtle ball of flavor that makes this a very competitively-priced wine."
2020 -
"Orange-blossom, lime-zest, peach and melon aromas. It’s medium-bodied with bright acidity and a fresh, pithy finish. Refreshing. Drink now. Screw cap."
2020 -
#22 TOP 100 BEST BUY 2021 - "Fresh, inviting tropical aromas are on key and helped by the 15% Riesling in this Torrontes-based wine. A medium body is boosted by racy acidity, while lychee and citrus flavours are standard but nice. A slightly oily feel shows on the finish of this highly quaffable patio white. Drink now."
2019 -
2019 -
"This has attractive aromas of fresh lychees and peaches with tropical fruit and jasmine. The palate is a riot of juicy, fresh, vivid white peaches and melon. Drink now. Screw cap."
2019 -
"Lovely nose with waxy citrus and floral aromas. Aromatic palate of lavender, jasmine and lemon peel with a clean freshness."
2018 -
"This is a blend of 85% torrontés and 15% riesling, all from Finca Las Mercedes, in the heights of the Colomé Valley in northern Argentina. Unoaked and simply fermented in stainless, this white has a crystalline clarity. Its white fruits, floral touches, and brilliant acidity on the palate make this tremendously refreshing."
2018 -
"Fresh and generous citrus and melon aromas with a hint of mint, plus a juicy palate with very bright acidity, making this an appealing and refreshing dry white. The clean and polished finish makes this very food-friendly. A blend of 85 per cent torrontes and 15 per cent riesling. Drink now. Screw cap."
2018 -
"Always one of Salta's best value whites, this is a scented, harmonious blend of Torrontes with 15% Riesling that sees no oak but is bursting with floral lime and orange zest notes. Refreshing and well balanced."
2018 -
Bronze Medal "Easy to enjoy, fresh and crisp, with lots of ripe white/tropical fruit, a good texture and lively acidity. Good to share with Asian food."
2018 -
"Pale lemon-yellow. Zesty aromas of candied lime peel and guava. Fresh, juicy and penetrating, even a bit hard-edged, with citrus zest and quinine flavors further firmed by rocky minerality. Finishes salty, dry and persistent, with lovely lift and a light touch. A very refreshing white wine for twelve bucks. (just 12.5% alcohol; done entirely in stainless steel)"
2017 -
2017 -
"A vibrant, but well-balanced dry white with tons of fresh fruit salad aromas and a hint of floral honey. A crisp, salty, mineral finish. A great food wine! A blend of torrontes and riesling. Drink now. Screw cap."
2017 -
"Pale, bright yellow. Delicate scents of lemon, flowers, dusty herbs and mint accented by a mineral element. Sweet, savory wine with piercing minerality and firm acidity. A bit metallic and hard-edged but I give this wine a slight edge over the 2016. Finishes limey and uncompromisingly dry. A little more give and this brisk blend would have merited 90 points."
2016 -
Platinum Medal and Best in Show: Best Value Dry Aromatic "The nose offers a beguiling mix of pineapples and grapes. Inviting jasmine and crisp peach flavours meld with an attractive mouthfeel. Superbly made, with splendid varietal characters. One glass of this won’t be enough!"
2016 -
Gold Medal and Best of Class
2016 -
2016 -
"...The 2016 Amalaya Blanco is an unusual blend of Torrontes with some 15% Riesling from a young vineyard, and the grapes were harvested quite early. It fermented with neutral yeasts at a low temperature to keep the aromas and it didn't go through malolactic fermentation, bottled after one month in tank. This is a young and fruit-driven white, sharp and aromatic, with only 13% alcohol-which for Salta is quite low. The Riesling was harvested at only 11%, which lent some herbal aromas and great acidity. In 2016, they got their first Riesling grapes from a new parral vineyard in Cafayate, but they still purchased some grapes. The notes of the Torrontes are not overpowering, there are hints of jasmine and talcum powder, with some green lemon and fennel aromas. It's clean, pungent and sharp, really refreshing. Putting it in my mouth made me salivate and think about the empanadas from Salta! A superb aperitif wine and superb value, too! 192,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2016, when in the northern hemisphere, the 2016 harvest had not yet started. 2016 looks like a very good year for the Salta whites."