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Argentina’s Mendoza wine region: Got altitude

The road had either seen better days or had never made it beyond a light flirtation with tarmac. Either way, it wasn’t doing very much for our truck, which was having great difficulty navigating between a succession of bumps and potholes. As the foothills of the Andes grew closer, the roads grew more precarious. Or perhaps it was just that the driver, like his passengers, was unable to tear his eyes away from the beautiful scenery ahead.

We were heading into Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, about two hours outside Mendoza. This is one of the centres of activity in Argentine wine, where several high-altitude wineries have sprung up over the past few years. The greater height of the vineyards, until recently seen as impractical for winemaking, offers cool nights for the vines and higher radiation from the sun that can make photosynthesis so much more effective than on the hot, clammy valley floor. Snow-capped peaks provide unlimited natural water for irrigation.

Altitude is becoming just as much a signature of high-profile Argentine wines as the malbec grape, and it means you have to be prepared for plenty of four-by-four action to reach them. The average vineyard in Argentina is planted at 1000 metres above sea level (compare that with the highest point in Bordeaux’s Médoc region, which stands at 35 metres above the Atlantic), and more winemakers are exploring lands at 1800 to 2000 metres and above. The highest vineyard in the country – Altura Máxima in Salta province, near the Bolivian border – is 3100 metres above sea level.

Everything in the brave new world of Argentina’s vineyards is on a big scale: the mountains; the investments; the stones used to build the immense new wineries sprouting out of the dusty landscape; the capacity of the vat rooms; even the horizon, stretching into infinity from the many perfectly located tasting rooms that look out over the vines. This is a wine country with a soaring imagination and a stack of plans that winemakers are only too happy to share.

Argentina as a wine destination has changed beyond all recognition over the past five years. In 2002, the country was still grappling with its economic crisis. At the time, most of the wine made in the country was drunk internally – about 90 per cent – and produced from over-prolific vines intended to make bulk wine. Malbec, today the country’s signature grape, was struggling to recover from years of state-subsidised uprooting programs.

Today, all that is a distant memory. Inflation is below 10 per cent, just one of the many signs that a significant corner has been turned, and the wine industry is booming. Imports from Argentina to Australia are up almost 19 per cent year-on-year to 2007, now worth A$212 million, and exports of malbec were up 50 per cent to the United States and 70 per cent to Britain. Even more significant are the hundreds of sparkling new wineries.

The number of huge buildings designed by renowned architects has increased, living up to the big names that have bought wineries in the area in recent years. These new owners include Kendall Jackson (now sold), Pernod Ricard, Concha y Toro of Chile, François Lurton, Michel Rolland of Bordeaux and Moët & Chandon, all attracted by the near-perfect climate and cheap land prices (that are rising steeply).

The Argentines themselves are also key drivers of the new wine industry, none more so than Nicolás Catena at Catena Zapata. His family has made bulk wine in Argentina for generations, but it was his time in California in the 1970s and early 1980s – where he taught economics at Berkeley – that opened his eyes to the possibilities of the wine industry. Napa Valley especially was an inspiration to Catena and his wife, Elena, as they spent weekends backpacking through the area. When Catena returned home, the military government had just declared war on Britain and inflation rates stood at more than 1000 per cent a year. Undeterred, he sold his table wines, his mass-market brands and his vineyards on the valley floor, and focused on his quality-driven vision. His neighbours thought he was crazy.

“But his vision moved forward the wine industry for an entire country,” said our smartly dressed guide as we stood on the sun-drenched roof of Bodega Catena Zapata.

The usual base for exploring this and other bodegas in the region is Mendoza, as there are plenty of excellent visits within an easy hour or two of what has become the wine capital of the country. The Mendoza province produces more than 60 per cent of Argentine wine and is the source of an even higher percentage of the total exports (84 per cent by value during the first trimester of 2006). As such, it has seen most of the investment over recent years, making it a perfect base for touring the wine centres of Uco Valley, Maipú, Luján and San Rafael. Further afield are the cool-climate regions of Patagonia and, increasingly, the Salta province, but for these you need a longer trip.

Mendoza itself is still quite a small, charming town, with a few museums and three or four international hotels – the opposite of sophisticated Buenos Aires 1000 kilometres to the north. Mendoza is a city that has thrived in spite of itself – it was almost destroyed by earthquakes on several occasions and is located in a large dust bowl. The region receives just 200 millimetres of rain a year, compared with Adelaide which receives 520 millimetres and Bordeaux’s 920 millimetres. Its irrigation system was developed by the Huarpes, a tribe that lived in the area at the time of the Incas, and remnants of the network are still visible today.

Once outside the city, the approach to wine tourism is imaginative and stylish. Many wineries have restaurants and tasting rooms, even art galleries, museums and accommodation, and food and wine matching is increasingly on offer. This includes Argentina’s renowned steaks – the first Aberdeen Angus cow was imported to Argentina in 1879, and today more than 68 kilograms of beef is consumed per person each year. Other local specialities include Patagonian lamb or empanadas (pastry filled with minced meat, olives, onions, chopped boiled egg and spices), ideally cooked in a wood-fired stone oven, served piping hot and eaten alfresco.

Few experiences beat sipping a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc or rich malbec on one of the many terraces that adorn the tasting rooms all over the Mendoza wine country. At a recent wine conference, Australian viticulture specialist Dr Richard Smart described Chile and Argentina as “the lucky countries” when it comes to grape growing, with their altitude, low humidity and low rainfall. Standing in the evening sunshine looking out over the expanse of neatly trimmed vines and the mountains towering above, it’s hard not to feel lucky to be a part of the scene, even if just for a few hours.

TOP CELLAR DOORS
Bodega Catena Zapata
A visit to the home of the godfather of the modern Argentine wine industry is a must. As you would expect, the visit focuses on quality and the technical aspects of winemaking, and the highlight of the tour is their single varietal, microclimate tasting, where you get to try five single-vineyard malbecs from different altitudes. It’s great fun trying to spot the difference as the vineyards get higher and higher (they say that using the Degrees Day system their vineyards go from the Rhône to Burgundy to the Rhine). Generally speaking, you should get more concentration of flavours the higher you go. The winery is open from Monday to Saturday and, as all tours are done by specialised guides in small groups, it’s advisable to book in advance.
J Cobos s/n, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, 0261 413 1100, www.catenawines.com.

Bodega Septima
The Séptima wine cellar was built by local architects Eliana Bórmida and Mario Yanzón, using centuries-old methods perfected by the Inca tribes native to the region. Specifically, they used the Pirca technique, which consists of cutting and piling natural stones from the Andes. As a result, where many of the wineries have smooth, polished exteriors, Séptima is more like a vast dry-stone wall hewn out of local materials. The interior is no less striking, with a gorgeous terrace that you can eat on and large cellars with more than 1500 French oak barrels. The winery is open Monday to Friday and reservations are essential.
Ruta Internacional No 7, Km 6,5 (from Acceso Sur), Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, 0261 498 5164, www.bodegaseptima.com.ar.

Flechas de los Andes
Open since 2006, this flamboyant multi-million-dollar construction is part of the Clos de los Siete project, in which seven French château owners joined together under the direction of Michel Rolland to create a high-quality Argentine wine. Each member is opening their own winery, as well as giving a proportion of their yearly harvest to the Clos de los Siete project. This latest opening is a joint venture between Laurent Dassault of Bordeaux’s Château Dassault and the Rothschild family of Château Clarke in the Médoc. They kept things French with architect Bruno Legrand, who created a 5000-hectolitre gravity-fed winery made from wood, glass, steel and wrought ironwork, and an air-conditioned barrel cellar with room for 3000 barrels. Visits to the winery are by appointment only and Spanish, English and French speakers are catered for.
Sarmiento 250, 2B, CP 5500, Mendoza, 0261 423 4230, closdelossiete@clos7.com.ar.

Bodega Sottano
The red-brick exterior of this fortress-like bodega imposes itself effortlessly on the surrounding landscape, as well as subtly picking up and reflecting the natural colours and tones that surround it. The architect, Mauricio Sottano, tried to respect the landscape not only through his use of local materials and colours, but by planting only indigenous vegetation in the areas around the vines. The excellent  wines are as sturdy as the building itself and need time to develop in the barrel and glass. When visiting, stop to have a drink on the flat-roofed terrace to fully appreciate the incredible feat of creating a vineyard in this barren landscape. It’s open for visits from Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings, and reservations are essential.
Route 7 & Costa Flores S/N, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, 0261 404 8058, www.bodegasottano.com.

Bodega Salentein
This is possibly the most glamorous of all the visitor centres in the region, with a large, excellent restaurant and the impressive Kilka art gallery that houses a collection of international contemporary art. The cross-shaped bodega has won awards for its architecture, not least for the traditional gravity transfer system that allows wine to flow from stainless-steel tanks to the circular oak casks that are stored underground for ageing the wine. The tour finishes in the dramatic, low-lit tasting room, where guides pour wines on a massive marble altar. Small groups can also stay in the impossibly chic adjoining Posada Salentein. Tours of the winery and art gallery, conducted in English or Spanish (French on weekends with prior notice), run every day and bookings are recommended.
Ruta 89 Esquina Elías Videla, Los Arboles, 02622 42 3550/42 9000, www.bodegasalentein.com.

Bodega Zuccardi
José Alberto Zuccardi and his family run a slick operation, and if you’re short of time this is one of the best to visit. It encompasses a beautiful winery with a large boutique full of unreleased wines and cellar door specials, plus an excellent restaurant, a spacious art gallery and well-organised tours covering everything from walking in the gardens to regional cookery lessons. At weekends, the restaurant serves afternoon tea, with a wide choice of herbal teas and cakes – a welcome respite from wine tasting! The winery itself is very modern, with row upon row of stainless steel, aiding low temperature vinification and careful control of a variety of regional yeasts, each adapted for specific grapes and vineyards. The Zuccardi family also makes its own olive oil. Visitors are welcome every day from 9am-noon or 2-5pm, and reservations are preferred.
Ruta Provincial No 33 Km 7.5 Maipu, Mendoza, 0261 441 0000, www.familiazuccardi.com.

Bodega Alta Vista
This bodega is one of the largest family-owned wineries in Argentina. It was purchased back in 1999 by the d’Aulan family (who also own properties in Champagne, Bordeaux and Tokaj in Hungary), and the property has undergone a complete overhaul. Today there are more than 176 hectares of vines, at above 1000 metres. The beautiful cellars here feel more Old World than many of the properties in Mendoza, no doubt influenced by their French owners, and there are far more oak casks than you will see in many other bodegas (except for the very top properties, oak chips reign in Argentina). The winemaking is extremely precise, with drip irrigation and different methods of canopy management for each vineyard. One of their vineyards is at 2300 metres – they had to buy the entire valley just to have access rights to irrigation water. Alta Vista’s premier product, Alto, is an Argentine wine icon. It’s open to visitors from Monday to Saturday, May to September and reservations are essential.
Alzaga 3972, M5528AKJ, Luján de Cuyo, 0114 815 7070, www.altavistawines.com.

Terrazas de los Andes
Owned by Moët Hennessy, Bodegas Chandon Argentina was the first investment the company made outside France. The Terrazas de Los Andes winery is also owned by the Moët Hennessy group and was renovated and inaugurated in 1999, although the winery itself dates back to 1898 and retains a Spanish feel. Where Bodegas Chandon produces sparkling wine, this winery concentrates on still varieties. As the altitude of the vineyards increases behind the winery, so the grape varieties change: syrah at the lowest points of 800 metres, malbec at 1067 metres, merlot at 1150 metres and chardonnay higher still at 1200 metres. The winery is constructed from beautiful red brick and has a large visitor centre and a guest house. This is also the winery that has brought the world the iconic Cheval des Andes, a joint venture with Bordeaux’s Château Cheval Blanc. Recent months have seen the installation of the winemaker from Krug, so expect the quality to rise even higher. Open Monday to Saturday, reservations are essential, and Spanish, English and French are spoken.
Thames y Cochabamba Perdriel Luján de Cuyo, 0261 488 0058, www.terrazasdelosandes.com.

Trapiche
Trapiche won 2006 Argentinian Wine Producer of the Year at an awards ceremony in London, and over the past few years has spent a lot of money updating the winery facilities. Today, it has 131 cement vats with a capacity for more than 3 million litres (there are stainless-steel vats with space for another 3 million litres of white wine) and storage for more than 1.5 million bottles. Trapiche was one of the first wineries to set up tours for guests – visits are by reservation only.
Mitre s/n Coquimbito Maipú, Mendoza, 0261 520 7210, www.trapiche.com.ar.

Bodega Norton
The 2007 winner of a Best of Wine Tourism award from the Great Wine Capitals, this is an elegant winery that encourages gentle, more leisurely exploration than many of its more modern counterparts. Its location, just 20 minutes from Mendoza, makes it a good bet to start or finish a long day’s tasting. Norton has stood on this site for well over a century and many old traditions have been preserved, not least the barbecues under the old walnut trees in the perfectly tended gardens. Don’t leave without having a drink on the terrace that looks out over the vineyards. Open for visitors every day, by appointment.
Ruta Provincial 15, Km 23.5, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, 0261 490 9760, www.norton.com.ar.

TEXT JANE ANSON PHOTOGRAPHY BODEGA NORTON

This article appeared in the August/September 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.