I was amazed at the traditional style of his winemaking methods.
Saffie prefers to use the traditional cement tanks for fermentation
and aging. According to Saffie, the porous nature of the cement
allows for a consistent flow of oxygen, creating richer, more flavorful
wines. He also uses a 100 year old gravity flow system for extracting
the juice as a gentler alternative to other crushing techniques. When
we had an opportunity to try his wines, every bit of tradition and
quality control came through in each delicious sip.
La Consulta is known for growing flavorful red varietals, and
Altocedro grows Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Temperanillo and
Syrah for their wines. Their Malbec is juicy and complex, and
filled with wonderful aromas and flavors of lavender, black cherry
and pepper. Their Temperanillo is well-structured and layered
with tar, black fruits and violets. Arguably my favorite of all was
the Altocedro La Consulta Select, a blend of Malbec, Cabernet
The property was breathtaking. Between the man-made irrigation
pond, the miles of green vineyard canopy and the majestic Andes
Mountains in the background, it was truly a sublime view.
Fabian Valenzuela, the winemaker, gave us a tour of the property.
We sat with him and tasted through their new “Alta Collection”
of wines. The Alta wines are a collaboration of Valenzuela and
renowned French winemaker Jean Claude Berrouet, who spent 44
years as the winemaker at Petrus. Together they created a group of
wonderfully full-bodied but elegant wines that deserve placement
on any restaurant wine list. The collection includes Rose of Malbec,
Chardonnay, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. I enjoyed every one
of them, but the Rose was hands down my absolute favorite. With
its hint of ripe, red fruits and the perfect amount of mouth-watering
acidity, it definitely secured a spot on my “last meal” wish list.
After the tasting and lunch of empanadas, we were treated to a
horseback ride through the Tapiz Vineyards. While gently trotting
through the Tapiz vineyards on the back of El Cantador (my
horse), I remember seriously contemplating moving to Argentina to
become a wine drinking Gaucho.
“With its crisp acidity and citrus
flavors, Torrontes is a perfect
summer wine.”
Sauvignon, Temperanillo and Syrah. It’s an incredibly inky, rich,
robust and delightful wine that changed with every swirl of my
glass. I found hints of blackberry, bittersweet chocolate and smoke,
and a delightful herbs de Provence undertone.
After tasting, Saffie led us in a blending game, where we tried to
create an identical blend to the La Consulta Select using beakers
and bottles of the different varietals. This exercise cemented my fate
as a wine salesman and not a winemaker, as my blend was nothing
like the original. It has, however, given my friends and me hours of
fun blending wines together to see what we can come up with.
“While Argentina is known for their
quality Malbecs, the Bonarda grape
is actually the more widely planted
varietal and produces the juiciest
of wines.”
Next, we went to San Carlos to visit the TeHo and ZaHa
vineyards. Located in the Uco Valley, the San Carlos area lies
4,000 feet above sea level. With its high altitude, cool climate and
diverse soil composition, this area makes incredibly interesting
wine. Both the TeHo and ZaHa Malbecs were inky, rich and
complex, and tasted of smoke, lavender, sandalwood and beautifully
juicy blackberry flavors. These wines are definitely a splurge, but
absolutely worth it – they are delightful.
My favorite visit of the trip was to the Tapiz Vineyards, one of
Argentina’s most renowned and awarded wineries in the Uco Valley.
fsmomaha.com
The traditional cement tanks used for fermentation
and aging at the Altocedro vineyard. Photo by Evie Clercx.
We spent the afternoon at La Madrid Winery in the Agrelo
District of the Lujan de Cuyo province. Agrelo is one of the
oldest and most premier wine growing regions in Argentina, and
each of the LaMadrid wines is made from grapes from one of
three vineyards in the area. Winemaker Hector Durigutti strives
to showcase the classic and beautiful terroir of the area, and his
wines are all elegant, full and well-balanced. My absolute favorite
of the collection is the La Madrid Reserva Bonarda. If you haven’t
had Bonarda before, I highly recommend trying this one. While
Argentina is known for their quality Malbecs, th