Vigil maintains that big corporations have excellent chances of attaining quality and diversity. He claims that Parker’s ratings are a means of surviving in the markets, and underlines the fact that Argentina has a long way to go as far as research on Malbec is concerned.
Development. A year later he became manager of the company’s Premium products. In 2005 he was assigned the management of wines over USD 20, and, finally, he was appointed Chief Winemaker in 2007.
- What will the wines of the 2010 vintage be like?
This has not been a problematic year for our company in terms of volume. Although there was a decline in the volume harvested in some areas, our requirements for all varietals have been met. We have had very high quality in the grapes and in the wines, especially in the areas of Anchoris, Agrelo and the Uco Valley in general. What we have harvested so far is of truly outstanding quality and has actually exceeded our expectations. This vintage could be put on a level with those of 2004 and 2006, which were also excellent vintages.
- The harvesting season extended longer than usual this year. Was this due to lower sugar content in the grapes?
We didn’t have any problems with sugar content levels. Rather, the harvest extended up to May 7th due to the good weather conditions in the Uco Valley. We have had no frost or rain this year, and the vines were active until the last days of April. We waited until we obtained what we wanted from the vines. The grapes reached remarkable ripeness and the sugar, acidity and polyphenol curves were exceptional.
- Can we expect Catena wines with over 90 Parker points out of this harvest?
That would be very good, but I can’t tell for sure whether we’ll be awarded that kind of rating this year. What I do know is that we’ll get the highest possible quality out of this vintage, as we have been able to keep up our quality enhancement program in all our lines, from the lower to the higher-end. We won’t get too upset if the wines don’t receive such high scores.
- What are the threats and what the advantages of depending on international gatekeepers or “raters”?
In general terms, to gain a firm foothold in the international market, you will need to depend largely on the ratings awarded by these critics, who represent the tastes of average wine drinkers. Then ratings are important to get into a market and maintain your position in it.
The downside is that if you have a bad harvest and you get a poor scoring, this may affect your sales. In any case, I think the only way to survive in a market as competitive as that of wine, with so many new and traditional brands, is to offer consistent quality, because you get the scoring once, and then people will buy the brand.
- The Álamos line has had an exponential growth in the United States. In your opinion, what is the reason for this success?
Not only has the Álamos line (USD 10 retail) shown a strong growth, but also the Catena line. Actually, it was the sales of Malbec wines in the 10-20 dollar price range that took an upturn, since Malbec is becoming better and better known and fully satisfies people’s expectations. The challenge for the wine industry now is to do further research, to develop new vine-growing areas, and to invest in technology with a view to increasing volume and quality. Álamos has had an annual growth of 25% to 35%, and the classic Catena line (USD 20 per bottle, shelf price) increased 30% in the same period.
- Malbec accounts for 65% of Catena’s production. Do you think Argentina should keep focusing on the production of varietal and single vineyard wines as a way of standing out?
Rather than focus on varietals or single-vineyards, I think we should keep on striving to produce the best possible value, which is our strength as a country. We need to invest in research and development, in more and better work, and in a closer cooperation between production and marketing. I believe in Argentina there is still poor coordination among departments and sectors, both within companies and at the provincial level. This is a weakness, particularly if we bear in mind that the world is beginning to regard Mendoza’s Malbec more and more as a brand than as a variety.
- Should Mendoza apply for a CDO for Malbec?
I don’t mean that. I’m talking about restructuring instead, about improving communication within and outside wineries. We need to make our Malbec even better before obtaining a CDO, and we should not neglect international classic varietals, for the production of which, day by day, we have proved to have enormous potential.
- What is Catena’s secret for producing so much and, at the same time, staying at the top of export wine rankings?
Above all, it’s due to Nicolás and Laura Catena’s strategic vision on wine production. Also, both I, the firm’s chief winemaker, and Alejandro Sejanovich, the vineyard director, have been trained with the philosophy that there is always room for improvement in our field. Finally, I think wineries that produce large volumes have greater chances of achieving better quality than those which produce small volumes.
Re-print of the article " Producing more allows us to achieve better quality” written by GABRIELA MALIZIA for WineSsur.com
Photo by WineSur.com
Translation: Inglés del Vino
The original article is available at:
http://www.winesur.com/top-news-2/“producing-more-allows-us-to-achieve-better-quality”
