Junket to Mendoza and Santiago

In a week or so, I'll be visiting Kaiken, Achaval Ferrer, Bodega Norton, and Pascual Toso in Mendoza; then moving on to Santiago for a visit to the Montes/Santa Ema vineyards. Anybody been to visit any of these properties? I'd be grateful for any background information. I know the wines (I sell them); just wondering whether there is anything I should be paying special attention to while there.

Yes, it's a dark and lonely job, but somebody's got to do it.

Can't help you as I've never been to Argentina but could you fit in a visit to Bodega Catena Zapata? I like some of what they are producing.

I know you're not asking for other producers to visit but if I were going to Mendoza I'd be curious to visit this winery because they were the first to subscribe to the argentinean "Triple A" (Agricultores, Artesanos, Artistas) manifesto adopting natural wine guidelines.

http://www.bodegacecchin.com.ar/

Can't help you as I've never been to Argentina but could you fit in a visit to Bodega Catena Zapata? I like some of what they are producing.

Not this trip. Last September I got to spend an illuminating hour with Alberto Benenati, a viticulturalist at Catena. He's a very impressive guy--he took us through an explanation of what it takes to achieve physiological ripeness of Malbec tannins in such a way that even I could understand it.

[Jenise]

In a week or so, I'll be visiting Kaiken, Acheval Ferrer, Bodega Norton, and Pascual Toso in Mendoza; then moving on to Santiago for a visit to the Montes/Santa Ema vineyards. Anybody been to visit any of these properties? I'd be grateful for any background information. I know the wines (I sell them); just wondering whether there is anything I should be paying special attention to while there.

Yes, it's a dark and lonely job, but somebody's got to do it.

Dave, I know Concha y Toro isn't on your list, but if there's any way you can get yourself invited to the winery, it's a must. When I visited there ten years ago, they invited us for lunch. A really fabulous lunch was served by tuxedoed butlers in a dining room of the old mansion that had been, IIRC, the marital home of the two members of each of the then reigning wine families who combined their forturnes and properties in marriage (hence the two names). The gracious old-money hospitality with which we were received at that winery was the highlight of the week I spent in Santiago. Don't miss an opportunity, if you have or can make one, to have a similar experience.

The gracious old-money hospitality with which we were received at that winery was the highlight of the week I spent in Santiago.

Does this mean they poured Don Melchor?

[Jenise]

The gracious old-money hospitality with which we were received at that winery was the highlight of the week I spent in Santiago.

Does this mean they poured Don Melchor?

Si senor!

So Dave... how was your trip...?

I'll give my notes in groups of two. Most notes are very brief; I'm trying to give an impression, not a detailed description.

First, Kaiken and Achavel Ferrer:

Kaiken:

This is Montes in Argentina. The winery is in Cuyo de Lujan, one of the better regions in Mendoza.

In the next month or so, Kaiken will introduce its first rosé, a 2008 made from 100% malbec. Grapes were picked two weeks early for better acidity. The color is deliberately dark, to distinguish it from white zinfandel. 24 hour maceration. It's pretty hefty for a rosé, very full in the mouth. Nice strawberry/herb character.

'07 Malbec: Toast, floral notes, dark fruit. “We try to make something very simple and very good.” A nice beginner wine: Very soft, very easy.

'07 Cabernet: “We were disappointed at first—the wine didn't have the structure of our Chilean cabernet. Then we realized we were making Argentine wine, so we emphasized the soft tannins and ripe fruit.” The winemaker pointed out that the cab was grown on “parral” vines—similar to pergola in that it creates a canopy to protect the grapes from burning in the sun. “They told me at school that this would not produce quality wines, but it did. So I'm sending my diploma back.”

'06 Ultra Malbec: Very big nose with sweet herbs, chocolate, oak spice, and dark fruit. Aged one year in French oak and 7 months in barrel. Tasting this, I sense Chilean winemakers trying a little too hard to be Argentine: They've gone after softness at the expense of structure. The wine is delicious on first sip, but I wouldn't want to drink much of it. At 14.9% ABV, it's heavy and a bit one-dimensional.

'06 Ultra Cabernet: 96% cabernet, 4% malbec. Better than the Malbec. Still very soft, but not as heavy; the fruit is ripe, not over-ripe; the mouthfeel is lighter. A more food-friendly wine.

Achaval Ferrer:

This is a relatively small winery, and does not own much real estate. They rent vineyards in 8 locations around Mendoza; they prefer the flexibility of blending wines from different terroirs. Unlike most other producers in the region, they do not use netting on the vines to prevent hail damage—they say the netting creates unwanted humidity within the vines. The winemaking process is also somewhat unusual: Like everyone else, they pick when the fruit is super-ripe. Unlike everyone else, they ferment quickly at high temperatures (up to 96 degrees F). In the early stages of fermentation, alcohol content can reach 18%. The high temperature volatilizes the alcohol, reducing it to 13-14%. This is how they get ripeness without heaviness. Because fermentation can take as little as 9 days, there is continuous pump-over. (In contrast, Kaiken doesn't pump over at all.)

'08 Malbec bottle sample: This was bottled three weeks ago. Very bright, very tannic.

'08 Quimera bottle sample: A blend of malbec, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and a very small amount of petite verdot. The blend changes every year. Dark fruits, hints of herbs, firm, almost glossy in the mouth.

'07 Quimera: This is still very young, very bright, with Bordeaux-like characteristics: Firm, smooth, lots of floral and herbal character. Expected maturity is 2012; they expect the wine to live at least another 15 years. The winemaker recommends opening this a day ahead of drinking.

'08 Altamira: Grown at a single high-altitude vineyard (3,400 feet), the grapes are exposed to wide variations in temperature—as high as 100 degrees F during the day, as low as 40 degrees F at night. The resulting thick-skinned malbec grapes give the wine a very big structure—even with the softness of the tannins. The grapes are picked a few weeks earlier than is typical, to obtain good acidity. I make no claim to be able to judge a young wine's future, but this seems to have everything required for very long life and well-developed complexity. Pretty red berry notes.

'07 Altamira: This is already quite a bit smoother and obviously well-formed. Still a complex blend of bright red berry fruit and darker, plummy character, as well as lots of floral and herbal character, and an almost iron-like finish that reminds me of Chinon.

'08 Finca Mirador: Grown on clay at lower altitude, this is the most “French” of the wines tasted (save one—see below). A bit softer than the Altamira, with pretty red and black fruits, sweet spice, and firm mineral character on the finish. Definitely young: The acidity is quite bright.

'07 Finca Mirador: On the nose, crushed rose petals. Red and black berries, chocolate, earth; lovely.

'08 Bellavista: Grown on limestone and sand, this has a bigger structure than the Mirador. Red fruit, walnut, little citrus character, a bit peppery.

'07 Bellavista: Beautiful floral perfume; dark plum and blackberry; sweet spice and minerals on the finish.

'01 Finca Mirador: Earth, forest floor, sweet tobacco, violets, black currant, very much in the style of high-end Bordeaux. (This was tasted from a double magnum opened for the occasion.)

More to come...

Thanks, Dave, look forward to more.

Have never been to Mendoza, but the Achaval-Ferrer Fincas are my favorite malbecs, so I was very interested to read how they obtain the "ripeness without the heaviness."

Okay, round two. Again, these are hardly detailed tasting notes; they're quick impressions.

Bodega Norton:

Maybe it was because it came after Achaval Ferrer, but the Norton tasting was somewhat disappointing. The top end wines were very good—everybody's top end wines are very good—but the entry-level and mid-level wines were distinguished by their lack of distinction. When a winemaker tells you that he works hard to chase after all the details of winemaking, that means he's having trouble doing it. The tasting was not well organized—no tasting sheets, not even a list (there were 17 wines).

Sparkling blanc de blanc NV: Citrus and herbal character, very crisp, very dry. I thought this was the best wine of the tasting, and a lot of others did, too.

'08 Chardonnay: All stainless, no malo. No fruit, either.

'08 Sauvignon Blanc: Nice style, with herbs, elderflower, lime, some mineral quality.

'08 Torrontes: Rose petal, face powder, crisp green fruit on the palate. Bone dry. Kind of a gewurz wannabe.

'07 Reserve Chardonnay: Fermented and aged 11 months in new French oak; full malo; nice ripe apple and pear, but very old-fashioned style.

'08 Cabernet Sauvignon: No oak. Light, some sweet red fruit, nice dry finish.

'08 Malbec: Fermented in stainless, then given a few months in two-year-old French oak. Fairly bright fruit aromas and flavors for Mendoza; not over-ripe.

'06 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon: This is fermented 50/50 stainless/oak, and aged 6-12 months in two-year-old barrels. Textbook red and black currant, plum, oak spice, some richness of fruit.

'06 Barrel Select Malbec: Starts well with blue and black berry aromas and flavors, but finishes with big unripe tannins. After so many “soft” tannin wines, a bit of a shock.

'06 Merlot Reserve: Greengage plum, baking spice, herbs, okay.

'06 Syrah Reserve: Big red berries, strong meaty character, nice oak spice. Some Rhone character.

'06 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: This is Norton's top cabernet. Good complex nose of plum, cedar, earth. Smooth dark fruit on the palate. Soft tannins. Very nice.

'06 Malbec Reserve: Plum, cherry, sweet spice, earth, cocoa powder, soft drying tannins. A more modest style than some others.

'06 Privara: 40% Malbec, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon; aged 15 months in French oak. This was decanted; it had been open about an hour. Big style—opulent plum, cherry, sweet spice; very rich in the mouth.

'06 Privara Malbec: This has not yet been released. Big red and black fruits; forest floor; mint; bit gamey; soft tannins and chocolate on the finish.

'05 Perdriel: 60% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, all from a single vineyard. Possibly the most interesting wine of the tasting—great red and black fruit, complex herbal character, and huge mineral quality on the finish—almost salty.

'06 Gernot Langes: 70% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. Very pretty floral character in the nose, followed by mellow blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry fruit. Long spicy finish.

Pascual Toso:

The original Pascual Toso winery is in San José, which seems to be a close-in suburb of Mendoza; after the ultra-modern Kaiken, Achaval Ferrer, and Norton, it seems almost romantic to be in a building built in 1890. This site is used for sparkling wine and bulk wines only. Our host pointed out that the two parts are strictly divided: Bagged sugar is not allowed anywhere except in the sparkling wine area. No chaptalization here! No gyro-pallets, either: Pointage and dépointage are done by hand. One of the two riddlers is about to retire; he's been doing this for 45 years.

Toso Brut (100% Chardonnay) NV: Very simple; ripe apple and pear aromas and flavors, touch of caramel on the finish. Aged four months in tank.

Extra Toso (100% Chardonnay) NV: Aged two years in bottle. Some biscuity character on the nose, more intense apple and pear aromas and flavors.

Extra Toso (100% Pinot Noir) NV: Aged three years in bottle. Big bready nose, very ripe red fruit aromas and flavors, nice richness. They have high hopes for this wine; I'm afraid it's going to be a bit pricey ($30) to compete in the US market. But what do I know?

The main winery is at an estate called “Las Barrancas” in Maipú. All the tanks here are concrete rather than stainless. They're cheaper to build and maintain, and use less energy.

'08 Chardonnay: 40% fermented in oak to full malo; 60% no oak, no malo. Hazelnut, apple, pear, some tropical fruit, a bit of buttery character. I think they're trying to split the difference between classic and modern styles, and doing a pretty good job of it. Very fresh.

'08 Sauvignon Blanc: Lime, elderflower, oystershell, grapefruit, nice citrusy snap to the finish.

'08 Torrontes: Honeysuckle, apricot, citrus. Clean and crisp. Surprisingly good, not at all like gewurz.

'08 Malbec rosé: Cherry/berry and watermelon on nose and palate; some citrus character on the finish. Simple, clean.

'08 Malbec: Plum and cherry aromas and flavors, just a hint of oak spice; nice balance of fruit and tannin.

'07 Merlot: Dark fruits, chocolate, some sweet spice, lively acidity.

'07 Syrah: Dark fruits, sweet tobacco; simple.

'07 Cabernet Sauvignon: 40/60 oak/concrete. Pretty red fruits, restrained oak spice, pleasant tannic structure. Not a fruit bomb; very well balanced.

'07 Reserva Malbec: 80/20 US/French oak. Well-defined blueberry, blackberry, and deep plum aromas and flavors; bit of vanilla perfume, soft tannins on finish. Not showy—nice food wine.

'07 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon: 80/20 US/French oak. Red berries, distinct red raspberry note, sweet spice, rich mouthfeel, nice balance, long tannin-driven finish.

'07 Alta Reserva Malbec: 100% French oak. Rich fat dark fruit, red cherry, boysenberry, plum, cocoa powder, lots of very soft tannins. Luxurious without being overwhelming.

'06 Alta Reserva Syrah: Classic stuff—dark rich fruits, serious meaty quality, lots of vanilla. Seems rich but lively acidity provides balance. Aged in 100% American oak.

'05 Finca Pedregal Single Vineyard: 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, very low yield vines, aged 18 months in French and American oak. Rich, complex, forward red and black fruit, very big mouthfeel. Blockbuster.

'05 Magdalena: 90% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, only made in best years (no '03 or '04), aged 18 months in French oak. Lush red and black fruit, earth, herbs, but not over the top. Elegant.

Last installment:

Santa Ema:

Rodrigo Blazquez, winemaker. His Diemme Vintage 23 vertical press is for the Amplus wines only; it has a 23 hectoliter (608 gallon) capacity, which makes it one of the largest such presses in existence. The Maipo vineyard is a dry river bed; it looks like Rhone vineyard. The river is still there—it curves around the vineyard on three sides. The river's presence allows for some planting of sauvignon blanc and chardonnay in what is otherwise strictly red grape country.

'08 Amplus Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley: Big nose of green herbs and lime. Rich and crisp on the palate, with a distinct note of green chile pepper, and good mineral notes on the finish. Andres Sanhueza of Santa Ema says they were trying for a New Zealand style; I think they've got something even better. This is outstanding stuff.

'08 Chardonnay Reserve, Casablanca Valley: 80/20 French/American oak aging. Hazelnut, resin, tropical fruit, coconut, banana on the nose. Crisp pear and apple on the palate. Hard to believe no malo. Luxurious and still fresh-tasting.

'06 Merlot Reserve: Aged 9 months in French oak. Very fruit forward—plum, black raspberry, black currant; notes of caramel and vanilla. All that sweet fruit balanced by soft tannins. Crowd-pleaser.

'06 Amplus One: 70% carmenere, 26% syrah, 4% carignan. Cherry/berry, plum, sweet tobacco, lead pencil; sweet prunes on the palate, along with chocolate note. Rich and powerful, long tannin-driven finish.

'06 Amplus Carignan: Made from 80-100 year old vines in the Cachapoal Valley. Huge nose of red and black berries with notes of chocolate and coffee and sweet spice. Super-rich palate of fresh red and black fruit, good jolt of acidity, lots of soft tannins. 1,000 cases made. Very impressive.

Montes

The Marchigue vineyard is the westernmost in the Colchagua Valley; it is 11 miles from the Pacific. Because there are mountains right along the coast, moisture from the ocean rises and travels inland about 20-30 miles before falling; the Marchigue sits under this rain shadow, and consequently receives almost no rain at all. Large cacti grow next to the syrah vines. Many of the syrah vines here are grown specifically for the Cherub rosé; they face east to ripen quickly, and are picked early to preserve acidity. The Finca De Apalta vineyard is at the opposite end of the Colchagua; it's a much greener area. This is where Montes makes its headquarters. Directly behind the winery is the slope where syrah for the Montes Folly grows; at its highest point, the angle is 49 degrees. When someone asked Aurelio Montes whether he brought in Germans and Swiss to pick these steep slopes, he replied “No...acrobats.”

'08 Classic Sauvignon Blanc: Lime, melon, and grapefruit on the nose. More grapefruit and a touch of sweetness on the palate, followed by a dry, clean citrus finish.

'08 Leyda Valley Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc: Ferocious nose of herbs, green citrus, spearmint. The palate of melon, citrus, herbs, and minerals seems a bit tame after the initial fireworks. Great, even so.

'08 Classic Chardonnay: Pure aromas of pear, apple, and brown spice. Ripe apple and apple skin, with some leesy character on the palate. No malo. 35% is aged in French barrels for 8 months. At 14%, this is pretty big.

'07 Alpha Chardonnay: 45% aged in oak for one year; some new oak. Between 25-30% goes through full malo. Big tropical fruits, oak spice, and vanilla on the nose; more tropical fruit and very ripe apple on the palate; some buttery quality. Fresh fruit quality keeps this from being run-of-the-mill. Nice fruit/acidity balance.

'08 Cherub Syrah Rosé: Cherry/berry and herbs on the nose; more berries and a hint of watermelon on the palate; very bright, very fresh-tasting, yet also full-bodied.

'08 Classic Merlot: 50% barrel-aged. Plum, other dark fruit, cherry, pretty spicy. Cherry and cocoa on the palate and enamel-peeling acidity. This needs some bottle age, at very least.

'08 Classic Cabernet Sauvignon: This vintage contains a small amount of Alpha. Textbook red and black currant, hint of sweet tobacco, more red fruits. Cherry and chocolate on the palate, nice soft tannins. Well balanced.

'08 Limited Selection Cabernet/Carmenere: 70% Cabernet, 30% Carmenere. Chocolate, red berries, and peppery notes; red fruit with herbs and more pepper on the palate; very, very soft.

'07 Alpha Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley: Cherries and raspberries on the nose; pretty sweet red fruit on the palate; a bit simple for a premium pinot.

'06 Alpha Merlot: Contains 15% Carmenere; aged in French oak. Plum and red and black berries with big pepper note; dark fruit and cocoa powder on the palate, dusty fine tannins.

'07 Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon: Forthright nose of red and black fruit and oak spice; nice perfumey quality. Lots of red fruit on the palate, note of bittersweet chocolate; medium-bodied, very nice balance, not a blockbuster.

'06 Alpha Syrah: Contains 5% Viognier “for the tannins,” says Montes. Terrific nose of herbs, smoke, meat, dark fruit. Jammy raspberry and black cherry on the palate; abundant soft tannins. A standout.

'07 Alpha Carmenere: Sweet green pepper, pomegranate, and red berries on the nose. Nice complex palate of red fruits, sweet spice, plush tannins. Long, spicy finish. Montes says he got a lot of pressure to produce Carmenere; he is not at all convinced that it is “the next Malbec.” I agree: The green pepper thing is definitely an acquired taste.

'06 Alpha “M”: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petite Verdot, 5% Malbec. Bordeaux-like nose of violets and bright red and black fruits. The palate comes on with a lot of rich fruit and earth, but with some restraint. Elegant.

'06 Folly: 100% Syrah. Like the Alpha only moreso: Lots of meaty, gamy character and dark fruit on the palate, followed by rich, jammy red and black fruit and brown spice. Good balance of acidity saves this from fruit bombdom.

'06 Purple Angel: 46% Carmenere from Marchigue vineyard; 46% from Apalta; 8% Petite Verdot. Big floral nose, big note of black pepper; dark fruits. The palate has more black pepper, plum and blackberry, brown spice, and super-soft tannins.

Postscript:

I'm not much for souvenirs, but I still carry a Chilean 10-peso coin. When we were at Santa Ema, we went into the far reaches of the vineyard to see the pickers at work. I noticed that every time a picker dumped a box of grapes into the wagon, there was some sort of transaction with the supervisor. I asked what was going on. Our host said, "Every time a picker delivers a box, the supervisor gives him (or her--there were a few women working) a token. The token is worth two pesos. At the end of the day, the pickers trade their tokens for pesos." While we were in Chile, the exchange rate was 550 pesos to the U.S. dollar. A ten peso coin is what you earned from picking five boxes of grapes. The average picker earns the equivalent of about US $300 a month. None of the pickers were migrant workers: In Chile, there is always something in season to be picked.