Winemaking
Argentina's wine history dates back more than four centuries.
Wineries were producing large quantities of rustic, typically oxidized wines intended primarily for local consumption.
In 1980, Nicolas Catena – a visionary vintner – changed all that. He crystalized Malbec's status as the country's iconic grape and sparked an industry-wide transformation, elevating Argentina to a position of one of the world's most modern wine-producing regions.
Malbec
Its rich and robust red color characterizes Argentinian Malbec. To fully mature, these inky dark grapes require long periods of sun and heat. The plum-like flavor with spice "touches" and full tannins distinguish Malbec from other reds. On the palate, Malbec is warm, soft, and sweet. When aged in wood barrels, it acquires shades of coffee, vanilla, and chocolate. It is the perfect match to enjoy with red meats, pork, and poultry.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet franc is an elegant and aromatic wine with smooth tannins. It is distinguished by a mix of aromas, red fruits such as raspberries, cherries, and blackberries with floral and minerals. The months in the barrel provide toasted aromas, leather, tobacco, and vanilla. Because of its well-balanced mix of tannins, acid, and body, Cabernet Franc is the perfect match for meats, duck, lamb, and red-sauce plates of pasta.
Red Winemaking
Wines can be barrel fermented in oak or placed in oak after fermentation for aging or maturation. Wines aged in oak will get more oak flavors and properties than wine fermented in oak because of the yeast cells' interaction with the oak components.
Barrel Fermentation
The fermentation of wine can be done in an oak barrel or stainless-steel tanks. Either way, alcohol fermentation is how the sugar of the must is converted into ethyl alcohol because of the natural yeast’s action present in the grapes' skins. Oxygen, one of the most critical elements of this procedure, triggers the process. When the alcoholic fermentation is completed, the sugar content is reduced, and the amount of alcohol increases, generating the transformation to wine.
After the alcoholic fermentation, the malolactic fermentation transforms the malic acid to lactic acid to reduce the acidic taste of the wine. The lactic acid increases the wine's aromas smoothness, also helping to keep the wine stable through the time
Barrel Aging
When wine is placed in wood barrels, we search for an indivisible combination that benefits and improves each other. The wood gives the wine its own tannins and aromatic values, which will slowly merge with the tannins of the wine. Small amounts of oxygen penetrate inside the barrel during this process, naturally modifying many of the wine components' chemical structures. The place and how we set the barrels also impact the final results. It is ideal placing the wine barrels in areas with low temperature and with humidity of 75%. This process can last between 6 and 18 months for red wines and six months for white and rose. It is also essential for the final product to know if the barrel is new or used - also called "seasoned." The new barrels deliver the wine strong texture and flavors, while the seasoned ones will be more neutral. After the barrel, the wines are aged in the bottle for up to 32 months.