LC I started really thinking about the Luca label in 1997 and 1998. I knew there were all these very special oldvine vineyards throughout Mendoza that had been held by families, some of them for over 100 years.
I went to talk to my father about this project. I said,“ Dad, I want to go find some really high-quality vineyards that belong to these growers and talk to them about making a really high-quality wine.” And my Dad, he analyzes an idea, you know— he’ s an economist, he doesn’ t use emotion to decide. He said,“ Wow, that sounds like a really good idea! Most of us don’ t think you can make a really good wine from growers, but you have convinced me that is not rational.” He likes to use that word, you know,“ rational.” So he lent me the best viticulturalist we had at Catena, and we basically drove around Mendoza during the harvest season, and dropped in on the best vineyards. We started working with many vineyards in this way. During the year, we send our viticulturalists to participate in the pruning. Some of the growers basically let our team do everything from pruning to deciding irrigation regimes, and we always decide when the harvest is going to happen. This was a completely pioneering thing to do in the late 1990s. The first vintage was in 1999.
One of the great side effects is that I have become really close to some of these growers! One family, the Rosas
family, every time I arrive, there are always ten children and three cousins, and they always make this big feast. My favourite part of the whole thing is that we drink wine from plastic cups! There is something about drinking really good wine from plastic cups, in a beautiful setting, looking at the mountains, and you are surrounded by this beautiful family, that somehow makes you realize that you don’ t need luxury to enjoy great things! �
Ask the Banville & Jones experts to guide you through our favourite CATena wines, or laura ' s personal label, luca:
Alamos 2009 Chardonnay Mendoza, Argentina $ 13.99
Catena Zapata 2008 Malbec Mendoza, Argentina $ 21.99
Catena Alta 2008 Chardonnay Mendoza, Argentina $ 36.99
Catena Zapata 2006 Argentino Malbec Mendoza, Argentina $ 124.99
Luca 2008 Chardonnay Mendoza, Argentina $ 34.99
Luca 2009 Malbec Mendoza, Argentina $ 39.99
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