Argentina: Earth and Altitude
Terroir is a word that is often used and almost as often, overused in the world of wine. It refers to the combination of soil and climate that makes one wine region different from any other. I cut my teeth in wine on a little part of France called Burgundy. There the tiny vineyards each have characteristics that vary from minute to extraordinary. The primary catalyst for this change is the soil, although other factors such as a well placed wall or even a tree can make a difference.
It is because of my study and love of Burgundy that I became a true believer in the effect of soil on the vine. Living in the New World I also noticed a huge difference in climate. The wines of Sonoma are decidedly different than those of Napa, and Santa Barbara's cooler weather often makes its wines fruitier than either of its northern neighbors.
So it was that I came to Argentina with plenty of experience in the effects of terroir, and I was delighted to find that here it is not just a buzzword, but a integral part of the wine making philosophy. Several of the better wineries have captured the unique conditions in their Malbecs, bottling wines that emphasize the terroir of Mendoza.
In California, and even Chile the temperature of a growing region is often dictated by proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Argentina has one of the highest mountain ranges in the world between it and the ocean, but it is these very Andes that make all the difference.
Altitude is the key to climate here and the soil variations are also a direct effect of the looming mountain peeks. Deep sandy loam, calcareous and even alluvial soils all rest on beds of stones that allow the drainage that the vines so desperately need. The depth and composition of the soils have a huge impact on the flavor characteristics of the grapes.
Just to the east, of Mendoza away from the altitude of the Andes the Maipu region and their alluvial soils produce wines with rich tannins and soft fruit. Just south of Mendoza in the higher Lujan de Cuyo region its loamy vineyards influence the vines to have subtle but noticeable tannins with moderate fruit. Further south still and closer to the mountains in the high altitude Uco Valley is the town of Tupungato, the newest, and to my taste, most impressive region.
The grapes grown in the loamy soils with their calcareous layer in Tupungato have a huge mouthful of fruit that makes them taste completely different than the same grapes grown to the north and east. For some the lack of structure and tannins in general in these wines can be seen as a fault, but I fall into the more fruit the better school. The wines are not without structure, it is there, but their fruit driven style is amazingly prevalent.
Even the wineries that bottle wines from separate regions or individual vineyards often will make a blend of the best of these areas. Like creating a perfect stew they add the more tannic wines for structure, the acidic wines for freshness and the fruitiest examples for flavor to create a complex whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Only 10 to 15 years ago the wines of Argentina were often indifferent. Made to satisfy an internal market that could never get enough wine, but were not particularly picky about the quality of what they drank. The renaissance in winemaking that brought an influx of capital and technology to this country also brought with it winemakers and visionaries that were searching for individual expressions of fruit that only specific terroir could afford. They found it in spades.
It is because of my study and love of Burgundy that I became a true believer in the effect of soil on the vine. Living in the New World I also noticed a huge difference in climate. The wines of Sonoma are decidedly different than those of Napa, and Santa Barbara's cooler weather often makes its wines fruitier than either of its northern neighbors.
So it was that I came to Argentina with plenty of experience in the effects of terroir, and I was delighted to find that here it is not just a buzzword, but a integral part of the wine making philosophy. Several of the better wineries have captured the unique conditions in their Malbecs, bottling wines that emphasize the terroir of Mendoza.
In California, and even Chile the temperature of a growing region is often dictated by proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Argentina has one of the highest mountain ranges in the world between it and the ocean, but it is these very Andes that make all the difference.
Altitude is the key to climate here and the soil variations are also a direct effect of the looming mountain peeks. Deep sandy loam, calcareous and even alluvial soils all rest on beds of stones that allow the drainage that the vines so desperately need. The depth and composition of the soils have a huge impact on the flavor characteristics of the grapes.
Just to the east, of Mendoza away from the altitude of the Andes the Maipu region and their alluvial soils produce wines with rich tannins and soft fruit. Just south of Mendoza in the higher Lujan de Cuyo region its loamy vineyards influence the vines to have subtle but noticeable tannins with moderate fruit. Further south still and closer to the mountains in the high altitude Uco Valley is the town of Tupungato, the newest, and to my taste, most impressive region.
The grapes grown in the loamy soils with their calcareous layer in Tupungato have a huge mouthful of fruit that makes them taste completely different than the same grapes grown to the north and east. For some the lack of structure and tannins in general in these wines can be seen as a fault, but I fall into the more fruit the better school. The wines are not without structure, it is there, but their fruit driven style is amazingly prevalent.
Even the wineries that bottle wines from separate regions or individual vineyards often will make a blend of the best of these areas. Like creating a perfect stew they add the more tannic wines for structure, the acidic wines for freshness and the fruitiest examples for flavor to create a complex whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Only 10 to 15 years ago the wines of Argentina were often indifferent. Made to satisfy an internal market that could never get enough wine, but were not particularly picky about the quality of what they drank. The renaissance in winemaking that brought an influx of capital and technology to this country also brought with it winemakers and visionaries that were searching for individual expressions of fruit that only specific terroir could afford. They found it in spades.
posted by Wineguy at 5:22 AM
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