In Deepest Patagonia

Pioneering vintners explore the frontier of grapegrowing in southern Argentina

Source: http://www.winespectator.com/wssaccess/show/id/40807
James Molesworth
Posted: November 15, 2008

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.
The new Patagonian Express is being powered by a surge of vineyard plantings and
wineries. Native Argentines are leading the way, with help from outside vintners such as
California's Paul Hobbs and Piero Incisa della Rocchetta of Tuscany.
Patagonia looks nothing like a wine country postcard. Low-lying, arid and treeless
plains filled with scrub maleza dominate the area. To the distant west are the Andes,
creating a formidable rain shadow. The stark agreste inhospito terrain is broken
intermittently by shallow, gravel-lined rivers that carry water from the mountains.
Irrigation is a necessity, and the vineyards mainly lie within a few miles of these
precious water sources.
The vast majority of Patagonia's vineyards are located in two adjacent provinces,
Neuqun and Ro Negro, though one producer that gets grouped with the other
Patagonian wineries operates in the southwest corner of La Pampa. Sitting astride the
38th parallel, this vineyard land is more than 400 miles south of Mendoza, the heart of
Argentina's wine industry.
As in Mendoza, the red grape Malbec is in the driver's seat, though international bluechip varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay are being planted as
well. Pinot Noir, though accounting for just a small percentage of total plantings, has
also shown some outstanding potential.
Much of Patagonia has never been cultivated. The air is fresh and dry, sunlight is
plentiful and there is a wide swing between daytime and nighttime temperatures. These
factors, combined with the nutrient-poor virgin soils, are proving ideal for grapevines.
But there are also challenges. Strong winds result in tangled canopies; wild parrots
enjoy eating grapes. Finding experienced labor and even getting connections to power
lines are among the other hurdles new wineries face.
Neuqun, whose western boundary is defined by the Andes, is the most recent area to be
developed, with more than 3,500 acres of vines planted in the past few years. The first
winery founded in Neuqun, in 1999, was Bodegas del Fin del Mundo (literally, "the
winery at the end of the world"), and it is now the largest with more than 1,900 acres
under vine. Globetrotting Bordeaux-based consultant Michel Rolland has been
employed here, but so far the project seems aimed at volume rather than quality.
To the east of Neuqun lies Ro Negro, which holds just 6,200 acres of vines. Many of
the plantings are a few generations old, the remains of a once-thriving wine industry
that totaled 44,000 acres and 400 wineries back in the 1970s, before Argentina's
political and economic crises took their toll.
Below are profiles of five wineries I visited earlier this year. It proved a fascinating
journey to the far end of the winemaking and grapegrowing world, a place that is

striving for high quality on its own terms. The wineries are presented in the order I
visited them; each has a unique story and all are helping to define the nascent wine
industry of Patagonia. They range from small, boutique-style producers to wellfinanced, larger-scale operations.
BODEGA DEL DESIERTO
Bodega del Desierto is located in the southwest corner of the La Pampa province. While
most of La Pampa is known for its verdant grasslands on which Argentina's cattle herds
graze, this part has more in common with the neighboring province of Ro Negro
namely, flat, windswept, semi-arid land dominated by poor, gravelly soils.
Bodega del Desierto is owned by the brother-and-sister team of Armando and Maria
Loson, 33 and 36, respectively. To oversee day-to-day operations they brought in
expertise from Mendoza in the form of winemaker Sebastian Cavagnaro, 31, and
vineyard manager Adrin Barrios, 32. California-based winemaker Paul Hobbs is
consulting on the project.
Though the area is underdeveloped, there is some infrastructure that the Losons are
accessing, including irrigation channels and an airstrip (pista de aterrizaje) built by the
military in the 1970s. It 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
took the bait at the time, and it soon failed. The irrigation system, designed for almost
150,000 acres of vines, currently brings water to only 4,000 acres, most of which are
alfalfa fields.
Bodega del Desierto now totals 345 acres of vines, planted in 2001 and 2003. The 2004
vintage was the first commercial release, made in a rented warehouse. The wines are
now produced in a converted tomato-canning facility (another remnant of governmentbacked investment that didn't take), and the Losons will be adding a barrel facility to the
site, among other improvements. There were 16,000 cases produced in the 2007 vintage,
with plans to grow to 75,000 within the next several years.
Despite the hurdles created by the isolation of this barren area, the Losons are inspired
by the project. "It's so easy to do things here," says Maria. "Because there is so much
that hasn't been done."
That Hobbs has worked with the label since its founding, in 2001, is unusual for the
consultant, who usually deals with already established wineries. At first, he said no to
the Losons.
"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."
The vineyards, which were originally planted by Mario Toso (formerly of Pascual Toso
in Mendoza), contain Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon
Blanc and Chardonnay. Planted on virgin soils, the vines face no disease pressures in the
dry climate. Wind is the biggest enemy.
The persistent Patagonian winds blow over the aea, resulting in twisted shoots and a
tangled canopy that requires constant maintenance. Poplar trees (lamos) have been
planted around the vineyards as a windbreak, but it's still a struggle. The wind also
results in thick-skinned grapes, making tannin management in the winery critical; power

and personality in the wines is not an issue here. But at what point does Desierto decide
to let terroir takes its course, compared with the mediating human factor?
"That's a great question," remarks Hobbs. "And we don't know yet."
As if the problems caused by wind and isolation weren't enough (labor is tough to find,
too), a severe spring frost in 2007 cut production by more than half. It was the first frost
in the area in 93 years. Some of the young vines are now struggling to recover.
As for the wines, they show excellent results already. The Sauvignon Blanc is made in a
more generous style, with ripe, focused lemon and grapefruit notes. The Chardonnay is
round, fresh and cleana portion is barrel-fermented in used barrels and then combined
with juice that's been fermented in stainless steel.
The reds are more interesting, with a Merlot that's smoky but fresh, offering plum and
fig notes. The Syrah, which delivers racy violet and raspberry flavors with a gutsy
undertow, is a touch firm nowthose thick grape skins can be tasted in the winebut
has the flesh to settle into itself. Both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc show
solid varietal character, the Franc with admirable muscle.
The top wine is the Malbec, which is very dark, with lots of currant paste, fig and black
licorice notes, while also showing a racy underpinning and a long graphite edge. It's that
graphite note that makes the Malbecs from Patagonia (and the region's reds in general)
stand apart from their Mendoza cousins.
NQN VIEDOS DE LA PATAGONIA
Travel west from Desierto for 90 miles on a two-lane road that seems to extend
endlessly into the flat horizon and you reach the strip of wineries in the Neuqun
province.
NQN Viedos de la Patagonia has 300 acres of vines. The first vintage made here was
2003, which produced 4,165 cases. Current production stands at 83,000 cases, all from
estate fruit. Owner Lucas Nemesio, 38, plans to top out at 125,000.
Sergio Pomar, 28, is in-house winemaker at NQN, with Roberto de la Mota (Raul's son)
of Bodega Mendel consulting. Nemesio has planted a range of varieties on the estate,
aiming to see which performs best. Malbec has been in the lead all along.
"Malbec is so easy to work with here," says Nemesio. "But I think Pinot is going to do
well, too."
There's potential here, though the label's portfolio of wines is very broad. The Malbec
Neuqun Malma Reserve delivers macerated raspberry fruit and the racy graphite edge
typical of the area. A vertical of four vintages (2003 through 2006) shows the rapid
improvement of the winery, with the two most recent bottlings showing more polish,
density and refinement. The top wine, the Coleccin Patagonia Universe, is made from
a blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the '05 and '06 bottlings offer
fleshier fruit and a better-knit texture than the debut '04.

FAMILIA SCHROEDER
Hands-on job-training can also be seen at Familia Schroeder, just a few miles down the
road from NQN. Owner Roberto Schroeder, 43, built the winery in 2004.
Familia Schroeder is very similar to NQNthere are 345 acres of vines planted on the
7,400-acre property and production stands at 83,000 cases, with plans to go to 125,000.
One-third of the production at Schroeder is sparkling wine, made in a forward, fruitfocused style and aimed primarily for Argentina's domestic market.
Schroeder, which is starting to plant on the hillsides at the back of the property, also
grows a wide mix of varieties, including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot
Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Pinot Noir and Malbec are the estate's lead grapes, with bottlings of both showing ripe
raspberry and cherry flavors and bright acidity. The wines are produced under the
Saurus label, a reference to the dinosaur bone found on the property during the digging
of the winery's foundation (the bone is now on display in the cellar).
BODEGA CHACRA
Nearly two hours' drive east from the strip of wineries in Neuqun, you come to Bodega
Chacraif you know where to look. There's no sign here, just a wooden gate that leads
to a dirt road.
Bodega Chacra is owned by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, 40, whose family's Bolgheri
estate of Tenuta San Guido produces Sassicaia. The winery, which debuted with the
2004 vintage, aims to produce silky, elegantly styled Pinot Noirs. The grapes are
fermented in small cement vats using semi-carbonic maceration, and only the top two
bottlings are aged in barrel, with just one-third new oak. Lovers of high-octane Pinots
need to look elsewhere.
Though it represents just a small percentage of the overall plantings, Pinot Noir joins
the dominant Malbec grape to form the region's lead duo of quality grape varieties.
The top wine of Bodega Chacra, the Pinot Noir Ro Negro Treinta y Dos (named for the
year in which the vines were planted, 1932), clocks in at just 12.5 percent alcohol and
shows beautiful length and balance, with dark cherry, licorice, floral and mineral notes
that drive through the finish. The newest release, the 2007, comes from a markedly cool
vintage in the area. "And old vines are more affected by heat and cold," notes della
Rocchetta.
Despite its light-bodied texture, the wine feels complete and shows plenty of
complexity.
Bodega Chacra (chacra is a square plot of land surrounded by poplar trees) is made up
of the 6-acre parcel that goes into the aforementioned Treinta y Dos bottling and a 21acre parcel planted in 1955 that goes into the Pinot Noir Ro Negro Cincuenta y Cinco.
The Cincuenta y Cinco (2006 was the wine's debut version) is heftier than the Treinta y
Dos bottling, though still modest at just 13 percent alcohol. It shows a fresher and more
forward briar, spice and red cherry profile.
The property also has 37 acres of new plantings that, combined with some additional
leased vineyards, are used for the winery's Barda bottling. The 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: April 6, 2010
NEUQUN, Argentina
Shortly after arriving in Argentina six weeks ago, I tasted a 2005 Cabernet
Franc from Bodega del Desierto, which is located in Patagonia. (You cant
accuse them of misleading labeling, can you?) I was struck by the sheer
goodness of that wine. It is a terrific Cab Franc: cherry-scented, dense,
typical in the French sense of that word, and filled with finesse.
Yet Ive got to say that Bodega del Desierto is on to something. Some of its
winesnotably that curiosity-inspiring Cabernet Franc, as well as an
excellent Syrah and a really stunning Malbecmake it clear that this isnt
simple commodity wine. The finesse of these wines vaults them into another
league, which cant be said for many wines from other desert-dry
winegrowing areas.

Just Add Money and Pour

To confirm this, I left the Losons in the proverbial dust and returned to what
passes for the central winegrowing zone of Patagonia, strung out in a long
stretch on either side of the town of Neuqun.
Its perhaps best imagined as a string of wine lights in a larger sea of fruit
orchards protected by sentries in the form of thousands of poplars. Wind,
you soon discover, is the areas biggest problem. We get winds of 60 to 150
kilometers an hour [37 miles per hour to 93 mph] pretty much every day,

said Lucas Nemesio, one of the owners of the large, ultramodern, touristoriented (it gets as many as 15,000 visitors a year) NQN winery. It gives the
grapes unusually thick skins and keeps the berries small.
The NQN winery, which was started in 2001, is one of three sizable wineries
at one end of the 125-mile-long length of the Neuqun oasis. It was only
when I visited its neighbor, Bodega del Fin del Mundo (the end of the world),
that I discovered why these three big wineries were clustered together.
The wines, as you might expect in such a big operation, are mixed, but two
are standouts: a Cabernet Franc of outstanding depth and a superb blend of
Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot simply called Special Blend. Both
are strikingly flavorful and have, yes, finesse. They go down like water, in
the best sense of that phrase.
All of these wines, among others I have not mentioned, share common
attributes of superb acidity, bright, precise fruit and what can only be called
an ingratiating quality that derives from superb balance.

. While it lessens the risk of vine disease and brings warmth to

higher-altitude zones, the persistently dry 25mph (40kph) wind also
does some damage.
Patagonia has gained recognition within the wine world due to the
two wine regions located in its northern portion: the more
established Rio Negro, and the newer, still developing, Neuquen.
Patagonian wines are traditionally more European in style than
those from the central and northern regions of Argentina, as a
result of its cooler climate and higher latitude. While red wine is
successfully made in Patagonia (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec,
Merlot, Pinot Noir), it is the Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer,
Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling wines which best represent the
freshness of the region's climate.

Neuquen Wine
Neuquen is a very young wine-producing region in southern
Argentina. Wine has been produced on a commercial scale here
only since the beginning of this century, but the region has already
shown
significant
growth.

Mendoza, just to the north of Neuquen, is Argentina's most prolific

wine-growing region, and its success has encouraged the efforts of
the 'Neuquino' wine producers.
Like its neighbor in Patagonia, Rio Negro, the comparatively cool
climate in Neuquen makes it stand out amongst Argentine wine
regions, whose style generally reflects the warmer, drier climates
of the north. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Pinot Noir
grow successfully in Neuquen, as well as white varieties such as
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The region's wineries
are concentrated in the east, away from the slopes of the Andes
mountain range to the west, and close to the edges of the Rio
Negro region.

Rio Negro Wine

Rio Negro is the most southerly of Argentina's wine regions, lying
at a latitude of 39 degrees south similar to the southern
vineyards of Spain. Rio Negro has a cooler climate than almost any
Spanish wine region, however, with an average annual
temperature of 55F (14C). This puts it closer to the northern Rhone
valley in France.
The climate of the Rio Negro Valley makes it suitable for growing
white grapes such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
and Chardonnay, but the region also produces red varieties, such
as Merlot, Pinot Noir and the ubiquitous Malbec. Rio Negro has also
increased its production of sparkling wine.

Interesting sites to check:

http://www.winesur.com/region/patagonia