Mendoza 2014
The US wine industry claimed the world headquarters for Cabernet Sauvignon had shifted to California following the famous Paris tasting in 1976. Similarly, Australia is claiming to be the centre of excellence for Shiraz. However, in both cases, Bordeaux and the Rhône have been fighting back with new technology and a string of very good vintages. On the other hand, there is little argument that the world headquarters for Malbec has shifted to Argentina – to the Mendoza region, to be precise. Mendoza produces more than two-thirds of Argentina’s wine and an even higher share of Malbec.
Why is this region excelling at Malbec? The story is not
dissimilar to the Shiraz story in South Australia.* The grape variety was
introduced to the region in the mid 1800s, before the phylloxera outbreak in
Europe. This pest destroyed 60–90% of the best vine material in France. Prior
to it, more than 50% of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux was planted to Malbec. However, it
adapted badly when grafted onto rootstocks. The severe frosts of 1956 further
reduced Malbec in Bordeaux by 75%. Cahors is now the major Malbec region in
France. Roberto de la Mota, owner and winemaker at Mendel Wines, explains: ‘When
I showed my 2001 Cheval des Andes at
a tasting at Chateau Cheval Blanc in 2003, Mr Ebrard, the old owner of the
chateaux commented: “This is what Malbec used to taste like.”’ He obviously
meant prior to 1956.
Argentina’s wine industry is more than four centuries old,
but until 30 years ago, it mostly produced rustic, often oxidized table wines
for local consumption. Through the pioneering work of Nicolas Catena, all this
changed in the 1980s. Catena was teaching agricultural economics at Berkeley,
California, when he and his wife Helena visited nearby Napa Valley. They got to
know Robert Mondavi, and Catena was impressed by Mondavi’s adaptation of
quality French winemaking methods. On his return to Mendoza, Catena set about
employing similar techniques at his Catena Zapata winery. With the help of
international consultants, he applied these techniques initially to Chardonnay
and Cabernet Sauvignon, but then found that Malbec responded particularly well
to reducing yields and exposure to high-quality French barriques. In his
research-based approach, he also found that altitude was the most influential
factor for Malbec quality. He also researched clones, and decided that out of
140 cuttings, only five were worth further investment. Following his lead, there
are now many wineries amongst the close to 1000 in the Mendoza region who are
pushing Malbec to world-class levels.
However, Mendoza is not all about Malbec. Cabernet Sauvignon
is a strong contender for equally high quality wine. The sunny days and
predictable warm weather patterns enable this variety to ripen well in this
location. Recently, major efforts have gone into growing Cabernet Franc and
Petit Verdot. They are mostly blended with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, but
start to appear as single varietals as well. Norton’s winemaker, Guillermo
Zamora, sees a good future for the locally grown Bonarda grape as well. And
then there are white wines. While they play second fiddle to the reds,
Chardonnay, the local Torrontes, and Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon are available
from most wineries. More about this later, but first we will focus on Malbec,
which is the main game of the Mendoza region.
What is typical about Malbec? A single grape is reasonably small, although larger than Cabernet Sauvignon, very dark, and juicy.
Cherry flavours usually dominate. Its fruitiness and versatility is its initial appeal. Malbec is easy to understand and can be a complete wine quite early after bottling. Controlling the vine growth is critical to ensure sufficient fruit intensity The wine can be quite elegant: Malbecs from Mendel and Altocedro are good examples. At higher altitude, Malbec develops a thick skin to protect itself against UV light. This increases the pulp-to-juice ratio, which in turn adds tannins and acidity to the wine. These wines are suitable for long-term cellaring.
The Mendoza region is a desert with insufficient rainfall to support grapegrowing. However, the melt-off from the Andes allows for irrigation.
The growing season is hot, with major temperature swings from day to night. Vineyards are spread over significantly different altitudes and soil compositions. There are five major geographical sub-regions. Northern Mendoza and Eastern Mendoza are hot and sandy regions, furthest away from the Andes. The wines from these areas tend to be fleshy and fruity. Southern Mendoza produces some good wines, but crops are often threatened by hail storms. Central Mendoza, with its two regional departments of Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo, is closer to the Andes. Temperature variations between day and night and the cleanliness of the water are considered major contributors to the top quality of the vineyards, in particular in Lujan de Cuyo. Finally, the Uco Valley, about one hour’s drive southwest of Mendoza City, has recently seen a lot of investment. This sub-region is home to the highest and coolest vineyards.
There are four dimensions which determine the different
expressions of Malbec in Mendoza:
·
the effort and detail in the vineyard and the
winery;
·
the style (from aromatic to alcoholic);
·
single vineyard versus blending; and
·
regionality (the terroir of Lujan de Cuyo versus
Uco Valley).
The quality wineries offer a hierarchy of wines. They
usually sell three to five different lines. The main differentiators are the
yield in the vineyard and the oak treatment. The entry level wines come from
high-yielding grapes and are often unoaked. The first serious quality wines are
often called Reserva. They sell for A$18 to $30 per bottle. A good example is
the 2011 Norton Malbec Reserva. This wine comes from a number of vineyards in
the Lujan de Cuyo region, 70% from old grapes. It has a yield of 6t/ha and is
treated with 100% first and second-use French oak. The most complex wines use
three vines per bottle and mature for a couple of years in new French oak
barriques.
Some wineries pay great attention to managing special
aspects of their vineyards. Achaval-Ferrer employs the same grape-picking team
for many years. They know the vineyards well and which grapes to select at what
time. Catena Zapata picks not just from certain blocks for their premium wines,
but also selects individual plants for their Icon wines. Altavista, owned by
the d’Aulan family of Taittinger fame, has the most technologically advanced
approach to grape selection. They employ GPS and infrared light to identify
different levels of grape maturity in the vineyard and pick accordingly – not
by vineyard or block, but by grape maturity within a block. Terroirs are taken
very seriously here. Altavista is a great place to visit to learn about terroir
management.
Very different wine styles can be experienced by visiting
three of the leading high-end producers. Achaval-Ferrer picks its grapes early,
and the wines are great expressions of its terroir. The winery was founded only
16 years ago, when three friends decided to come to Mendoza and find a vineyard
for making wine as a hobby. Patricia Lambert, their first employee, tells the
story:
One weekend, these friends looked for a vineyard in the Mendoza
region. They drove around everywhere, but could not find anything suitable.
They brought Roberto Cipresso along, a very talented Italian winemaker. He said
he would like to stay an extra day. At the end of this day he called the three
friends and told them he found the suitable place, but they needed to transfer
the money straight away. He refused to say where the vineyard was. It was
indeed an old block, where pigs were chewing on the neglected grapes. The group
had visited this property the day before. Had Roberto mentioned it, he would
never have achieved the friends’ approval. In the end, they trusted his
judgement, but thought Roberto was crazy when they found out. This was the
Altamira vineyard at La Consulta, Uco Valley, perhaps Argentina’s most famous
vineyard today.
Achavel-Ferrer make three ultra-premium single-vineyard
Malbecs. The Finca Altamira comes from the Uco Valley, and is grown at 1100 metres
on volcanic soil. The wine shows intense fruit flavours, with chocolate and
figs on the palate, and is supported by a solid structure. The Finca Mirador is
from a vineyard east of Mendoza, at 700 metres altitude on clay. The Finca
Mirador has meaty and smoky characters and is quite tannic. The ripeness of the
wine reflects the hot climate in the vineyard. The Finca Bella Vista is from the
vineyard at the Lujan de Cuyo winery, which is at 1000 metres, and based on
limestone. The expression of this Malbec is totally different: it is a
sensuous, soft and velvety wine. The vines in these three vineyards are between
90 and 105 years old and grown on natural rootstock. The wines show the
dramatic influence of the different terroirs.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are the wines of Vina Cobos. The winery is part owned by American winemaker Paul Hobbs, and the wines are squarely aimed at the Robert Parker palate. They make five different lines and pick the grapes quite late and ripe. Most wines have an alcohol level above 15.5% – and it shows. The finish is often quite hot and masks varietal character.
In the middle of the ‘ripeness’ dimension sits Catena Zapata. Their Malbec and Cabernet wines have alcohol levels of 13.5–14%. The Catena and Catena Alta wines are blended from vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, but the intensity and length of flavour steps up with the single-vineyard Malbecs and the Malbec Argentino. The famous Nicolas Catena Zapata Cabernet/Malbec is the pinnacle of the pyramid of wines, released after two years in barrel and a further two years in bottle. A second, higher volume winery, Alamos, produces easier drinking-style wines.
Another major difference between producers is the single-vineyard versus blending philosophy – and blending can mean two things: a blend between vineyards or between grapes, mostly Malbec and Cabernet.
We have already seen the single vineyard philosophy of
Achavel-Ferrer. They do make one blend, however, the Quimera, which is a
Bordeaux blend dominated by Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is done
in an unusual way, as the grapes are blended right from receipt in the winery.
Says Roberto Cipresso: ‘If you marry young, you adjust to your partner much
better. So it is with wine. A seemless blend is best achieved by blending at
the start of the winemaking process.’
Catena Zapata is a strong believer in blending between
vineyards: ‘Vineyards are like instruments in an orchestra. You can have a
solo, but ultimately, the orchestral piece is more satisfying.’ In the end,
this is about winemaking skill. The blending leads to a more complex wine if it articulates the different contributions of the parts; it leads to
a less interesting wine if the blending levels out the differences.
As in other regions, there is a full range of winery sizes
in the Mendoza region. From small family wineries with production volumes of
less than 10,000 cases per year to the largest Argentinean winery, Trapiche,
which owns more than 1000ha of vineyards and also has relationships with 200
growers. Norton, the fourth-largest winery, producing over 24 million litres,
has embarked on an amazing development at La Colonia in the south of Lujan de
Cuyo. This large site – over 1000ha, of which 700ha are planted – is like a
gated village. There are several hundred people employed there and the workers’
children have their own school on site.
The final debate is about terroir, the relative merits of
Lujan de Cuyo versus the Uco Valley. In the last 15 years, a significant amount
of capital (mostly foreign) has been invested in wineries and vineyards in the
Uco Valley. It is based on Nicolas Catena’s belief that higher altitude is good
for Malbec. The development of thicker skin delivers more fruit intensity and a
better structure. Vineyards have now been planted up to 1700 metres’ altitude.
However, this may be past the optimum. In contrast, the lower-lying Lujan de Cuyo
can produce beautifully soft and complex wines with chocolate and meaty
flavours complementing the fruit. Maybe Altamira is the sweet spot: Matthieu
Grassin, winemaker at Altavista, thinks so: ‘The grapes here produce the best
colour. It is a unique location. There is an aquifer below the surface, and the
rocky soil forces the roots to go very deep. Altamira gets the altitude
benefits, but is warm enough to produce a complex and ripe palate.’
The Uco Valley is definitely worth a visit, not just for the wines, but for the architecture of some of the newer wineries and their restaurants (be prepared for slow service). O Fournier and Salentein are the stand-outs. These wineries seem to be plucked straight from the Napa Valley. They are constructed following gravity-flow principles and do not use any pumps. Spanish-owned O Fournier is developing a special focus on Tempranillo. Wines from O Fournier and Salentein demonstrate the potential of the grapes. I felt the fruit purity was quite special. The vines are still young, though, and the complexity is still lacking.
Another significant development is Clos de los Siete. This project was spearheaded by Michel Rolland, superstar French consultant, who in the early 2000s brought seven French companies together to invest in a property of a little more than 800ha. The concept is unusual, as each winemaker was to develop their own facilities on the site. The project is shrouded in mystery and rumoured to be in trouble. Apparently three groups have withdrawn, among them the d’Aulan family. So far, Achavel-Ferrer and Catena Zapata, with their older vineyards in the Uco Valley, are still sitting pretty. They are the only large high-tech projects in the Uco Valley. Gimenez Riili is a new small family winery with less than 20,000 cases, and with access to a 50-year-old Altamira vineyard from which it produces Malbec and Syrah.
Red wine is clearly the main game in the Mendoza region, but one should not overlook the white wines, which are more than just an opening act. The 2013 Semillon from Mendel has an attractive citrus flavour and is less fruity than typical Australian versions, with a pronounced acidic finish. The Sylvestra Sauvignon Blanc from Bressia is harvested at two different times, to give it green and acidic character mixed with higher sugar levels. Norton’s Sauvignon Blanc expresses passionfruit and more tropical characters. Caelum is a small family winery with an emphasis on white wines, which make up 50% of its 6000 cases. Like others, it brings the Torrontes grapes in from the Salta region to produce an aromatic wine. The Chardonnays come in oaked and unoaked versions.
The most serious effort with white wine comes from Catena
Zapata. They have developed a hierarchy of Chardonnay wines starting with the
high-volume Catena Chardonnay. This is not a simple wine: some of it sees 1st,
2nd and 3rd year oak, 40% goes through malolactic fementation. The Alta
Chardonnay is a bigger wine, with apple and white peach characteristics. The
2010 Adrianna White Bones Chardonnay, at the top of the pyramid, is stunning.
The vines grow in an ancient limestone riverbed. This is a more linear wine,
with strong minerality and ginger flavours, a bit like a Chablis.
The Argentinean wine industry has certainly taken off, with
a sixfold increase in exports between 2000 and 2010. The US is the most
important market, followed by Canada and – increasingly – Brazil. There is a
world Malbec day in April, and Argentinean wines are starting to get noticed in
Australia. Their success is based on the niche strategy. These wineries are
acutely aware that only differentiation in a global market can lead to success.
Many are now looking for the next ‘big thing’. Cabernet Franc seems to be doing
well in Mendoza. It is still mostly blended, but increasingly bottled as a
single varietal. Bressia makes a Cabernet Franc from 20-year-old vines in the
Uco Valley. It is spicy, masculine, and has a good structure. Petit Verdot is
another potential focus for planting, but I see it more as a blend component to
add colour. Norton is interested in developing the locally grown Bonarda for
the international market. However, at this stage, the success of Malbec is far
from over.
The wine tastings in Mendoza are conducted very
professionally The hospitality staff are generally very knowledgeable about their
wines, and about the business and the history of the winery. Usually four to
six wines are poured for tasters, and tasting is a sitting down activity. I
recommend booking. In most wineries, a tasting fee is payable, which is
refunded upon the purchase of wine.
There are a number of ways in which one can visit the
wineries of Mendoza. Hiring a bicycle is cheap and seems romantic, but is not
very practical. The area feels quite urban, and in parts industrial, and the
distance between wineries can be considerable. Another cheap option is to take
local buses, but they do not go often and stringing together the wineries one
would like to visit is difficult. In many ways the most practical solution is
to hire a car – as long as one can agree on a designated driver. You also need
to prepare destinations and routes well. Signage is not always obvious. A
fourth option is to join a wine tour. There are a number of operators, and each
visits about three wineries in a day. The groups are small, and the wineries
quite skilled in highlighting special aspects of their operation. The drawback
is the standardized nature of the tastings, which necessarily involves some
repetition. This can be avoided on a private tour, which is the most expensive,
but also most satisfying option, as each day’s tour can be custom-planned. Also
the drivers are often sommeliers who can add valuable insights.
*see Thomas Girgensohn: Barossa
Shiraz – Discovering the Tastes of the Barossa’s Regions, Wakefield Press,
2013.
Interesting wineries to visit
Achavel-Ferrer
Achavel-Ferrer is a medium-sized high-quality winery. The
single-vineyard Malbecs are amongst the best in Mendoza. The wines show the
influence of different terroirs very well. The tour here is very educational.
Stepping into the mature home-block vineyard gives a good understanding of
Malbec viticulture in Mendoza.
Altavista
Altavista started in 1890s and is a French winery transposed
into Argentina. The work on terroir is very detailed and interesting. The
winery buildings are quite old and it is interesting to see the different
storage vats. The wines have a strong focus on structure and tannin management.
The influence of different vineyards on the wines is obvious.
Bressia
This winery is worth a visit just for the view of the Andes
behind the vineyards. The winery was only started in 2001 and Bressia owns no
vineyards. The two premium lines include interesting blends and a straight
Cabernet Franc.
Caelum
Caelum is a small family winery which was started in 2009.
It has a focus on white wines. A Fiano and a ‘Dolce’ are unusual wines that can
be tried here. You are likely to be the only visitor here, and the service is
very personal.
Catena Zapata
This is perhaps the Penfolds of Argentina, and a must visit
in Mendoza. The Maya-influenced architecture is impressive, as is the barrel
room. On the tour one can learn a lot about the history of Argentinean wine,
and the scientific approach to winemaking practised here. The three lines of
wines are the Catena range, Catena Alta, and the super-premium single-vineyard
wines.
Gimenez Riili
This small family winery is in the Uco Valley and is a stark
contrast to the high-tech developments there. Not all their wines hit the spot,
but access to excellent vineyards ensures some good-quality tastings. Expect a
very friendly welcome.
Mendel
Mendel is a medium-sized winery. It is led by Roberto de la
Mota, a highly respected winemaker. His commentary is very insightful and
engaging. The wines are particularly elegant. Watch out for their upcoming
Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Norton
Norton is a 24 million litre winery focused on quality – it
is owned by the Swarovski family of Austria. The Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon
Reservas are excellent value for money, as is the Privada blend.
O Fournier
The futuristic design of this Uco Valley winery strictly
follows gravity-flow principles. A visit to this winery is a must, as much for
the architecture as for the wines. The complex includes a highly regarded
restaurant, a vineyard scheme for individual investors and (in the near future)
a luxury hotel.
Salentein
This Dutch-owned winery in the Uco Valley is equally
impressive in terms of design. The winery has vineyards at several altitudes,
up to 1700 metres. There is quite a range of wines to choose your tasting from
and you can order your favourite at the busy restaurant.
Vina Cobos
This American-influenced winery will appeal to those who
like their wines alcoholic. The tasting area can be quite crowded, as the
winery has something of a ‘cult’ status, but a picnic lunch on their beautiful
lawn is peaceful.
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