While spring is at its finest in France, the well-known producer Catena Zapata on the other side of the globe, in Mendoza in Argentina, has compiled a harvest report for 2015. In Mendoza they call 2015 a Bordeaux-year. The summer was cool, autumn brought some rain and the result was generally low alcohol levels and high acidity in the red wines. The best Malbec wines in 2015 have an elegance achieved only in cool year, says Laura Catena in the report. Thanks to the warm winter harvest was 10-14 days earlier than is customary and early ripening grapes, like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, did very well.
Catena had no problem with hail this year. Normally hail is a recurring curse in Mendoza where producers invest a lot of money in hail nets. Most difficult this year was, according to Catena, Cabernet Sauvignon which was affected by rot in some places, especially in the clay soils of Lujan de Cuyo and Maipú. In well-drained soil and in vineyards pruned for low yields, it did, however, better. Read more: catenawines.com
Are you curious to know more about South American wines? Join us on a wine tour to Argentina and Chile and you will taste many top-quality wines, delicious food, and enjoy lovely landscapes. You will travel together with both Britt and Per.
