In Deepest Patagonia

Pioneering vintners explore the frontier of grapegrowing in southern Argentina

Source: http://www.winespectator.com/wssaccess/show/id/400!
James Molesworth
Posted: "ovem#er $%& '00
Argentina's Patagonia region defines remoteness. Windswept azotado por el viento and
sparsely populated, it exists far, far off the beaten path. A boundless tract of
undeveloped land punctuated by gauchos riding along dusty trails is probably the most
popular image of this vast region. But that picture may change in the near future, at least
for wine lovers.
he new Patagonian !xpress is being powered by a surge of vineyard plantings and
wineries. "ative Argentines are leading the way, with help from outside vintners such as
#alifornia's Paul $obbs and Piero %ncisa della &occhetta of uscany.
Patagonia loo's nothing li'e a wine country postcard. (ow)lying, arid and treeless
plains filled with scrub maleza dominate the area. o the distant west are the Andes,
creating a formidable rain shadow. he star' agreste inhospito terrain is bro'en
intermittently by shallow, gravel)lined rivers that carry water from the mountains.
%rrigation is a necessity, and the vineyards mainly lie within a few miles of these
precious water sources.
he vast ma*ority of Patagonia's vineyards are located in two ad*acent provinces,
"eu+u,n and &-o "egro, though one producer that gets grouped with the other
Patagonian wineries operates in the southwest corner of (a Pampa. .itting astride the
/0th parallel, this vineyard land is more than 122 miles south of 3endoza, the heart of
Argentina's wine industry.
As in 3endoza, the red grape 3albec is in the driver's seat, though international blue)
chip varieties such as #abernet .auvignon, .yrah and #hardonnay are being planted as
well. Pinot "oir, though accounting for *ust a small percentage of total plantings, has
also shown some outstanding potential.
3uch of Patagonia has never been cultivated. he air is fresh and dry, sunlight is
plentiful and there is a wide swing between daytime and nighttime temperatures. hese
factors, combined with the nutrient)poor virgin soils, are proving ideal for grapevines.
But there are also challenges. .trong winds result in tangled canopies4 wild parrots
en*oy eating grapes. 5inding experienced labor and even getting connections to power
lines are among the other hurdles new wineries face.
"eu+u,n, whose western boundary is defined by the Andes, is the most recent area to be
developed, with more than /,622 acres of vines planted in the past few years. he first
winery founded in "eu+u,n, in 7888, was Bodegas del 5in del 3undo 9literally, :the
winery at the end of the world:;, and it is now the largest with more than 7,822 acres
under vine. <lobetrotting Bordeaux)based consultant 3ichel &olland has been
employed here, but so far the pro*ect seems aimed at volume rather than +uality.
o the east of "eu+u,n lies &-o "egro, which holds *ust =,>22 acres of vines. 3any of
the plantings are a few generations old, the remains of a once)thriving wine industry
that totaled 11,222 acres and 122 wineries bac' in the 78?2s, before Argentina's
political and economic crises too' their toll.
Below are profiles of five wineries % visited earlier this year. %t proved a fascinating
*ourney to the far end of the winema'ing and grapegrowing world, a place that is
striving for high +uality on its own terms. he wineries are presented in the order %
visited them4 each has a uni+ue story and all are helping to define the nascent wine
industry of Patagonia. hey range from small, bouti+ue)style producers to well)
financed, larger)scale operations.
()D*+A D*, D*SI*-.)

Bodega del @esierto is located in the southwest corner of the (a Pampa province. While
most of (a Pampa is 'nown for its verdant grasslands on which Argentina's cattle herds
graze, this part has more in common with the neighboring province of &-o "egroA
namely, flat, windswept, semi)arid land dominated by poor, gravelly soils.
Bodega del @esierto is owned by the brother)and)sister team of Armando and 3aria
(oson, // and /=, respectively. o oversee day)to)day operations they brought in
expertise from 3endoza in the form of winema'er .ebastian #avagnaro, /7, and
vineyard manager AdriBn Barrios, />. #alifornia)based winema'er Paul $obbs is
consulting on the pro*ect.
hough the area is underdeveloped, there is some infrastructure that the (osons are
accessing, including irrigation channels and an airstrip 9pista de aterriza*e; built by the
military in the 78?2s. %t was during that time that Argentina's government hoped the
allure of land and water would draw development to the region. But only one winery
too' the bait at the time, and it soon failed. he irrigation system, designed for almost
762,222 acres of vines, currently brings water to only 1,222 acres, most of which are
alfalfa fields.
Bodega del @esierto now totals /16 acres of vines, planted in >227 and >22/. he >221
vintage was the first commercial release, made in a rented warehouse. he wines are
now produced in a converted tomato)canning facility 9another remnant of government)
bac'ed investment that didn't ta'e;, and the (osons will be adding a barrel facility to the
site, among other improvements. here were 7=,222 cases produced in the >22? vintage,
with plans to grow to ?6,222 within the next several years.
@espite the hurdles created by the isolation of this barren area, the (osons are inspired
by the pro*ect. :%t's so easy to do things here,: says 3aria. :Because there is so much
that hasn't been done.:
hat $obbs has wor'ed with the label since its founding, in >227, is unusual for the
consultant, who usually deals with already established wineries. At first, he said no to
the (osons.
:But we told him that if we contacted him again in a few years, he'd be telling us all the
things we had done wrong,: says Armando. :We're developing a new viticultural area,
so we have to go slow and get it right. But at the same time, time is money.:
he vineyards, which were originally planted by 3ario oso 9formerly of Pascual oso
in 3endoza;, contain .yrah, 3albec, #abernet .auvignon, #abernet 5ranc, .auvignon
Blanc and #hardonnay. Planted on virgin soils, the vines face no disease pressures in the
dry climate. Wind is the biggest enemy.
he persistent Patagonian winds blow over the aea, resulting in twisted shoots and a
tangled canopy that re+uires constant maintenance. Poplar trees 9Blamos; have been
planted around the vineyards as a windbrea', but it's still a struggle. he wind also
results in thic')s'inned grapes, ma'ing tannin management in the winery critical4 power
and personality in the wines is not an issue here. But at what point does @esierto decide
to let terroir ta'es its course, compared with the mediating human factorC
:hat's a great +uestion,: remar's $obbs. :And we don't 'now yet.:
As if the problems caused by wind and isolation weren't enough 9labor is tough to find,
too;, a severe spring frost in >22? cut production by more than half. %t was the first frost
in the area in 8/ years. .ome of the young vines are now struggling to recover.
As for the wines, they show excellent results already. he .auvignon Blanc is made in a
more generous style, with ripe, focused lemon and grapefruit notes. he #hardonnay is
round, fresh and cleanAa portion is barrel)fermented in used barrels and then combined
with *uice that's been fermented in stainless steel.
he reds are more interesting, with a 3erlot that's smo'y but fresh, offering plum and
fig notes. he .yrah, which delivers racy violet and raspberry flavors with a gutsy
undertow, is a touch firm nowAthose thic' grape s'ins can be tasted in the wineAbut
has the flesh to settle into itself. Both the #abernet .auvignon and #abernet 5ranc show
solid varietal character, the 5ranc with admirable muscle.
he top wine is the 3albec, which is very dar', with lots of currant paste, fig and blac'
licorice notes, while also showing a racy underpinning and a long graphite edge. %t's that
graphite note that ma'es the 3albecs from Patagonia 9and the region's reds in general;
stand apart from their 3endoza cousins.
"/" 0I1*D)S D* ,A PA.A+)"IA
ravel west from @esierto for 82 miles on a two)lane road that seems to extend
endlessly into the flat horizon and you reach the strip of wineries in the "eu+u,n
province.
"D" EiFedos de la Patagonia has /22 acres of vines. he first vintage made here was
>22/, which produced 1,7=6 cases. #urrent production stands at 0/,222 cases, all from
estate fruit. Gwner (ucas "emesio, /0, plans to top out at 7>6,222.
.ergio Pomar, >0, is in)house winema'er at "D", with &oberto de la 3ota 9&aul's son;
of Bodega 3endel consulting. "emesio has planted a range of varieties on the estate,
aiming to see which performs best. 3albec has been in the lead all along.
:3albec is so easy to wor' with here,: says "emesio. :But % thin' Pinot is going to do
well, too.:
here's potential here, though the label's portfolio of wines is very broad. he 3albec
"eu+u,n 3alma &eserve delivers macerated raspberry fruit and the racy graphite edge
typical of the area. A vertical of four vintages 9>22/ through >22=; shows the rapid
improvement of the winery, with the two most recent bottlings showing more polish,
density and refinement. he top wine, the #olecciHn Patagonia Iniverse, is made from
a blend of 3albec, 3erlot and #abernet .auvignon, and the '26 and '2= bottlings offer
fleshier fruit and a better)'nit texture than the debut '21.
2A3I,IA S45-)*D*-
$ands)on *ob)training can also be seen at 5amilia .chroeder, *ust a few miles down the
road from "D". Gwner &oberto .chroeder, 1/, built the winery in >221.
5amilia .chroeder is very similar to "D"Athere are /16 acres of vines planted on the
?,122)acre property and production stands at 0/,222 cases, with plans to go to 7>6,222.
Gne)third of the production at .chroeder is spar'ling wine, made in a forward, fruit)
focused style and aimed primarily for Argentina's domestic mar'et.
.chroeder, which is starting to plant on the hillsides at the bac' of the property, also
grows a wide mix of varieties, including 3albec, #abernet .auvignon, 3erlot, Pinot
"oir, .auvignon Blanc and #hardonnay.
Pinot "oir and 3albec are the estate's lead grapes, with bottlings of both showing ripe
raspberry and cherry flavors and bright acidity. he wines are produced under the
.aurus label, a reference to the dinosaur bone found on the property during the digging
of the winery's foundation 9the bone is now on display in the cellar;.
()D*+A 45A4-A
"early two hours' drive east from the strip of wineries in "eu+u,n, you come to Bodega
#hacraAif you 'now where to loo'. here's no sign here, *ust a wooden gate that leads
to a dirt road.
Bodega #hacra is owned by Piero %ncisa della &occhetta, 12, whose family's Bolgheri
estate of enuta .an <uido produces .assicaia. he winery, which debuted with the
>221 vintage, aims to produce sil'y, elegantly styled Pinot "oirs. he grapes are
fermented in small cement vats using semi)carbonic maceration, and only the top two
bottlings are aged in barrel, with *ust one)third new oa'. (overs of high)octane Pinots
need to loo' elsewhere.
hough it represents *ust a small percentage of the overall plantings, Pinot "oir *oins
the dominant 3albec grape to form the region's lead duo of +uality grape varieties.
he top wine of Bodega #hacra, the Pinot "oir &-o "egro reinta y @os 9named for the
year in which the vines were planted, 78/>;, cloc's in at *ust 7>.6 percent alcohol and
shows beautiful length and balance, with dar' cherry, licorice, floral and mineral notes
that drive through the finish. he newest release, the >22?, comes from a mar'edly cool
vintage in the area. :And old vines are more affected by heat and cold,: notes della
&occhetta.
@espite its light)bodied texture, the wine feels complete and shows plenty of
complexity.
Bodega #hacra 9chacra is a s+uare plot of land surrounded by poplar trees; is made up
of the =)acre parcel that goes into the aforementioned reinta y @os bottling and a >7)
acre parcel planted in 7866 that goes into the Pinot "oir &-o "egro #incuenta y #inco.
he #incuenta y #inco 9>22= was the wine's debut version; is heftier than the reinta y
@os bottling, though still modest at *ust 7/ percent alcohol. %t shows a fresher and more
forward briar, spice and red cherry profile.
he property also has /? acres of new plantings that, combined with some additional
leased vineyards, are used for the winery's Barda bottling. he wine is perfumy and
focused, with rose petal and dried cherry notes that linger on the elegant finish.
Drinking out loud
Source: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42453
Matt Kramer has never been in a country where so many prominent wine
producers come from afar.
Matt Kramer
Posted: pri! "# 2$%$
&'()(*&# r+entina,
Short!y after arrivin+ in r+entina si- wee.s a+o# / tasted a 2$$5 0abernet
1ranc from 2ode+a de! 3esierto# which is !ocated in Pata+onia. 45ou can6t
accuse them of mis!eadin+ !abe!in+# can you78 / was struc. by the sheer
+oodness of that wine. /t is a terri9c 0ab 1ranc: cherry:scented# dense#
;typica!< in the 1rench sense of that word# and 9!!ed with 9nesse.
5et /6ve +ot to say that 2ode+a de! 3esierto is on to somethin+. Some of its
wines,notab!y that curiosity:inspirin+ 0abernet 1ranc# as we!! as an
e-ce!!ent Syrah and a rea!!y stunnin+ Ma!bec,ma.e it c!ear that this isn6t
simp!e commodity wine. =he 9nesse of these wines vau!ts them into another
!ea+ue# which can6t be said for many wines from other desert:dry
wine+rowin+ areas.
Just Add Money and Pour
=o con9rm this# / !eft the >osons in the proverbia! dust and returned to what
passes for the centra! wine+rowin+ ?one of Pata+onia# strun+ out in a !on+
stretch on either side of the town of &eu@uAn.
/t6s perhaps best ima+ined as a strin+ of ;wine !i+hts< in a !ar+er sea of fruit
orchards protected by sentries in the form of thousands of pop!ars. Bind#
you soon discover# is the area6s bi++est prob!em. ;Be +et winds of "$ to %5$
.i!ometers an hour C3D mi!es per hour to E3 mphF pretty much every day#<
said >ucas &emesio# one of the owners of the !ar+e# u!tramodern# tourist:
oriented 4it +ets as many as %5#$$$ visitors a year8 &)& winery. ;/t +ives the
+rapes unusua!!y thic. s.ins and .eeps the berries sma!!.<
=he &)& winery# which was started in 2$$%# is one of three si?ab!e wineries
at one end of the %25:mi!e:!on+ !en+th of the &eu@uAn ;oasis.< /t was on!y
when / visited its nei+hbor# 2ode+a de! 1in de! Mundo 4the end of the wor!d8#
that / discovered why these three bi+ wineries were c!ustered to+ether.
=he wines# as you mi+ht e-pect in such a bi+ operation# are mi-ed# but two
are standouts: a 0abernet 1ranc of outstandin+ depth and a superb b!end of
Ma!bec# 0abernet Sauvi+non and Mer!ot simp!y ca!!ed Specia! 2!end. 2oth
are stri.in+!y Gavorfu! and have# yes# 9nesse. =hey +o down !i.e water# in
the best sense of that phrase.
!! of these wines# amon+ others / have not mentioned# share common
attributes of superb acidity# bri+ht# precise fruit and what can on!y be ca!!ed
an in+ratiatin+ @ua!ity that derives from superb ba!ance.
. Bhi!e it !essens the ris. of vine disease and brin+s warmth to
hi+her:a!titude ?ones# the persistent!y dry 25mph 44$.ph8 wind a!so
does some dama+e.
Pata+onia has +ained reco+nition within the wine wor!d due to the
two wine re+ions !ocated in its northern portion: the more
estab!ished Hio &e+ro# and the newer# sti!! deve!opin+# &eu@uen.
Pata+onian wines are traditiona!!y more 'uropean in sty!e than
those from the centra! and northern re+ions of r+entina# as a
resu!t of its coo!er c!imate and hi+her !atitude. Bhi!e red wine is
successfu!!y made in Pata+onia 40abernet Sauvi+non# Ma!bec#
Mer!ot# Pinot &oir8# it is the 0hardonnay# Iewur?traminer#
Sauvi+non 2!anc and Hies!in+ wines which best represent the
freshness of the re+ionJs c!imate.
Neuquen Wine
Neuquen is a very youn+ wine:producin+ re+ion in southern
r+entina. Bine has been produced on a commercia! sca!e here
on!y since the be+innin+ of this century# but the re+ion has a!ready
shown si+ni9cant +rowth.
Mendo?a# Kust to the north of &eu@uen# is r+entinaJs most pro!i9c
wine:+rowin+ re+ion# and its success has encoura+ed the eLorts of
the J&eu@uinoJ wine producers.
>i.e its nei+hbor in Pata+onia# Hio &e+ro# the comparative!y coo!
c!imate in Neuquen ma.es it stand out amon+st r+entine wine
re+ions# whose sty!e +enera!!y reGects the warmer# drier c!imates
of the north. 0abernet Sauvi+non# Ma!bec# Mer!ot and Pinot &oir
+row successfu!!y in &eu@uen# as we!! as white varieties such as
0hardonnay# Sauvi+non 2!anc and Semi!!on. =he re+ionJs wineries
are concentrated in the east# away from the s!opes of the ndes
mountain ran+e to the west# and c!ose to the ed+es of the Hio
&e+ro re+ion.
Rio Negro Wine
Rio Negro is the most souther!y of r+entinaJs wine re+ions# !yin+
at a !atitude of 3E de+rees south M simi!ar to the southern
vineyards of Spain. Hio &e+ro has a coo!er c!imate than a!most any
Spanish wine re+ion# however# with an avera+e annua!
temperature of 551 4%408. =his puts it c!oser to the northern Hhone
va!!ey in 1rance.
=he c!imate of the Hio &e+ro Na!!ey ma.es it suitab!e for +rowin+
white +rapes such as Iewur?traminer# Hies!in+# Sauvi+non 2!anc
and 0hardonnay# but the re+ion a!so produces red varieties# such
as Mer!ot# Pinot &oir and the ubi@uitous Ma!bec. Hio &e+ro has a!so
increased its production of spar.!in+ wine.
/nterestin+ sites to chec.:
http://www.winesur.com/re+ion/pata+onia