It's drifting towards 15:00 in the afternoon, and life is good. Empty bottles of Malbec of assorted vintage litter a table that's just been cleared of the fifth and final course of a lunch substantial even by Argentinian standards (this is a country where 800g steaks are perfectly normal). Conversation has a lethargic feel to it, the food and vino tinto taking effect, and centres on plans to move to South America as soon as possible. If you can muster the energy to glance out of the large glass window that passes for one of the four walls of Ruca Malen's private dining room on the first floor of the estate's cellar, you have the simple majesty of vines running back to a horizon of snowcapped Andes. Welcome to Mendoza, the home of wine in South America...
It feels clichéd to make the comparison, but there are clear shades of Stellenbosch to Mendoza. As a town, Mendoza's quiet, leafy avenues are awash with street cafés and restaurants, and there's a lazy pace of life to this unhurried corner of South America. The region of Mendoza (the town shares the same name) is also passionate rugby country. The crux of the similarity, though, is the wine, with the province of Mendoza responsible for nearly two thirds of the country's production. For many years, that production was mostly cheap, mass-produced plonk for local markets, with vines plundered for maximum yield, but in the last couple of decades, Argentinian wine has reinvented itself as a premium product, with quality soaring and international demand growing. And there's one grape in particular that's responsible: Malbec.
"We get the right amount of sun during the day, the cold temperatures at night that Malbec needs, a little altitude, which is perfect, and irrigation from snow-melt from the mountains," explains Julien Schell, as he walks through the cellars of Achaval-Ferrer, one of Argentina's most upmarket boutique wineries, and outlines just why this particular grape has found such favour in the Mendoza area. The equation is relatively simple, but it's a crucial combination of consistent factors that have created such an ideal platform for Malbec in Argentina. "Take the variation of temperature," Schell continues. "In France, Malbec has the taste, certainly, but not the structure that you get here, and that's because of temperature variations."
Winter temperatures drop to -15ºC, with daytime highs hovering around the zero mark; summer is considerably warmer. The combination has proved remarkably conducive to Malbec production, as has the rainfall pattern: just 200 millimetres a year, with the supplementary water provided by the snow melt from the mountains that stand guard above the vines of Mendoza. That water is used to flood irrigate vines, part of the reason that phylloxera isn't a problem in Argentina, and with yield management now carefully planned, the reasons for the success of the grape become quickly apparent.
"Malbec has adapted perfectly to the terroir of Argentina," agrees Santiago Boaknin, assistant wine maker at Mendel, a small estate half-an-hour from the town of Mendoza. "It's very versatile, so you can make anything from an inexpensive wine to something far more complex. You can do a lot with Malbec, and it can deliver different things depending on where you are."
And that's the next step in exploring Argentina's star varietal, for Malbec is a single name for a wide range of wines that encompasses a variety of styles and approaches. "Malbec and Argentina have become a little clichéd, but we're aware of that, and we experiment as a result," Boaknin concedes. That experiment becomes apparent as a range of Malbec is tasted. Many of the estates take grapes from vines in different areas, combining them to form a Malbec that's one varietal, but effectively a blend.
Finca Decero, a Mendoza estate owned by a Swiss businessman with wine interests in the Napa Valley and Australia, is a perfect example of this. Started from scratch a decade ago, the estate takes grapes from very different parcels, and combines them to form Malbecs with greater complexity and structure. "The goal is balance, elegance and complexity in the same wine," according to Marcos Fernandez, Finca Decero's winemaker. "There are different flavours in Malbec, from fresh fruit to floral, and we try to capture those differences."
The differences become apparent in a barrel tasting in Finca Decero's cellar, Fernandez drawing glass after glass from assorted corners of his artist's studio, and revelling in the story behind the contrasts. Elevation and soil type are key to the differences Fernandez serves up, wines from varying vintages and locations reflecting the subtleties he's then able to work into his finished product. Malbec acts as a winemaker's canvas, and artists like Fernandez delight in the extent to which they can weave and mould the wine into a particular form of vinous expression. Expression that we could be seeing more of in South Africa in coming months...
The three-day assault on Argentina's winelands was organised by Wines of Argentina, offering essential guidance given the hundreds of bodegas (estates) in the region, and included a cheerful bus driver, whose Spanish became increasingly easy to understand the more Malbec we sampled. The first stop was Lagarde. Santiago Minoprio and Sebastian Barboza, export and area manager respectively, beamed at the mention of South Africa.
Turns out negotiations are underway to bring their wines across the Atlantic and, while the Chilean earthquake earlier in the year interrupted the initial shipment (which would have joined wines from Argentina's neighbour in flying out of Santiago), the team at Lagarde is determined to hit the South African market in 2010. Which is good news, for the La Garda Malbec Reserva 2008 emerges as probably the pick of the Malbecs sampled in Mendoza; a smooth, elegant, soft-tannin wine that sums up the regal appeal of a quality Malbec - and one reflective of an estate that's had plenty of time to get its wine just right.
"We're one of the oldest estates - these vines were planted in 1906," smiles Barboza, showcasing the grapes before running through a tasting that includes Viognier, a varietal Lagarde was the first in Argentina to produce. It's the Malbec that shines, though, with the Altas Cumbres an easygoing example of a blended Malbec, grapes taken from varied terroir to create one of several wines Lagarde exports to 40 different countries.
It's an export market that's tough to break into; Lis Clement, marketing manager at Wines of Argentina, explains that in particular, "competing with wine from Chile is very difficult when exporting to the United Kingdom", a key market for New World wines seeking a global foothold. But there's a gradual shift in perception underway in Europe, as Argentinian Malbec's class slowly erodes the belief that all South American wine is entry level. It's a situation that South African producers will identify with, but in Argentina's favour in the export drive is the United States, where Malbec consumption is growing appreciably, helped by the proximity of the two countries.
And it's an American who provides the final touch to an unforgettable wine experience in the foothills of the Andes, the snow on the mountains a continually arresting image that makes this location so magical. Vines of Mendoza was started by Michael Evans, an American now happily resident in Argentina, and supplementing his vast, polished tasting room in the centre of town with a real estate vineyard development just outside of Mendoza. It's his tasting room that's the preferred destination for our group of weary travellers. It's a temple to Mendoza's wine industry, and despite some well-worn South African palates after two solid days of tasting (the spittoon on a wine holiday is sacrilege), a final burst of South American red, headlined by two great Malbec-based blends (La Azul Gran Reserva 2004, and Amauta 2006, both adding Cabernet Sauvignon to the Malbec for more depth and character), confirmed Mendoza as wine Mecca.
That status will only grow as Argentina looks to build on its status as the spiritual home of Malbec, but also expand to create a wider offering of top-class wines. "We can make high-quality Petit Verdot and Tannat," Fernandez explains, "and the Petit Verdot in particular has a lot of potential. It could be the next big thing in Argentinian wine." He could well be correct; right now, though, one wine remains the country's signature by some distance. From easy-come-easy-go fruit bombs to the silkier, more aristocratic classics, Malbec offers a remarkable canvas for the creative winemaker, and with perfect terroir and climate, there is nowhere on earth that produces wine quite like Mendoza, Stellenbosch's South American twin.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
The province of Mendoza is one of the world's great wine regions and the centre of Argentina's wine industry. It sits at the edge of the Andes and is known for spectacular landscapes, adventure activities (think skiing, rafting, climbing, trekking) and, of course, its signature grape, Malbec.
Located 1 037 kilometres from Buenos Aires and 380 kilometres from Santiago, Chile, the city has an international airport; although with no direct flights from South Africa to Mendoza, your best bet is to fly direct to Buenos Aires (or Santiago) and either get a connecting flight or hop on a bus (although it's a long, 13-hour drive from Buenos Aires).
Although all wineries are within close driving distance of the city, most are by appointment only.
Finca Decero
Email:
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Website: www.decero.com
Ruca Malen
Email:
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Website: www.bodegarucamalen.com
Lagarde
Email:
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Website: www.lagarde.com.ar
Mendel
Website: www.mendel.com.ar
Achaval Ferrer:
Email:
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Website: www.achaval-ferrer.com
WHERE TO STAY
• If your budget is generous, consider staying at Cavas Wine Lodge, one of the most highly recommended and luxurious hotels, surrounded by some of the best-known Mendoza vineyards at the foothills of the Andes. www.cavaswinelodge.com
• If you're looking for a homeaway- from-home as your base in Mendoza, Lares de Chacras, 15km from Mendoza city, is worthwhile. www.laresdechacras.com
• In the centre of town is the Hyatt Park Mendoza - always a reliable bet. www.mendoza.park.hyatt.com
CLOSER TO HOME
Traditionally used as a component of Bordeaux blends and widely grown in Cahours in western France (where it is known as Cot), Malbec as a single variety is traditionally associated with Argentina. Countries such as New Zealand, Italy and, of course, South Africa, have successfully bottled this varietal. Here in SA, Malbec vines were introduced in the 1920s, but plantings have remained limited with much of it making its way into blends. However, Anura, Doolhof, Blaauwklippen, Neethlingshof, Signal Hill, Raka, Nederburg and Zorgvliet each make good examples of single-varietal Malbec.
Since the varietal thrives in warm climates and rich soils, plantings are mostly found in Stellenbosch and Paarl, producing wines with an inky dark colour and robust tannins. Wines are typically fruity, with flavours of cassis, mulberries and plums, and hints of eucalyptus.
Where to buy Argentinian Malbec in South Africa
• Caroline's Fine Wine Cellar,
tel 021 419 8984 021 419 8984
• Norman Goodfellow's,
tel 011 788 4814 011 788 4814
• Glen Carlou, tel 021 875 5528 or 021 875 5528
Source: http://www.winemag.co.za/article/beneath-the-andes-2010-08-26
