Growing Conditions
- Adrianna Vineyard: Gualtallary District, Tupungato Alto Region, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
- Parcel Name: White Stones
- Parcel Surface: 2.5 Hectares
- Soil composition: Alluvial river bed. Stony soil
- Altitude: 4.757 ft (1.450 m) elevation
Cool Nights and high day-night Thermal Amplitude:
The summer of 2017 started out warm but then cooled off during the 2018 harvest months of February, March and April. This, in addition to the lower rainfall, gave rise to optimal balance in the fruit, with beautiful natural acidity, regional aromatic expression and smooth tannins.
Early by Two Weeks:
A warm summer followed by the cooling effect of the Pacific over the Andes during the months of February, March and April gave rise to a slightly earlier (by two weeks) harvest in 2018.
A Dry Year:
There was a decrease of about 100 mm (4 inches), about 30% less rain in every region.
A spring frost reduced yields by about 20%, but we saved most of the harvest by turning on anti-frost cans in Adrianna. A few all-nighters were pulled by Belén, Luis, Laureano and Miguel in the month of November. A nice dose of goat and sheep dung and worm compost kept the organically farmed Adrianna Vineyard happy throughout the growing season. The Catena Institute’s first year of microbial population study of the Fortuna and Mundus parcels showed a diverse and healthy population of microbes, different for each site. In three years we will hopefully have enough information to start understanding how microbial biodiversity and populations affect plant well-being and Malbec flavors.
Harvest
“El Año Mendocino,” the Mendoza Year we call it. After a small cool vintage 2017, which we call “El Año Bordelés” (the Bordeaux Year) and a small, very cool and rainy year in 2016 “El Año Bourguignon” (the Burgundian year), we finally got a vintage that is classically Mendozan: dry, cool, sunny and with moderate yields in every region from the lowest to the highest altitudes.
Winemaking
Cold settling for 12 hours in stainless steel tanks at 6o
C. Fermentation in French oak barrels for 45 - 95 days
at 16°C. Battonage. Partial malolactic fermentation.
Aging
Aged for 12-16 months in 2nd, 3d and 4th use French oak barrels.
