Argentine wines such as Malbec and Torrontes are
finally taking their rightful place on the world stage. But what
of Mendocino bubbly? Wine writer and all round vino advocate Nathan
Frye goes in search of some fizz.
Séptima
When you make your way to Bodega Septima it quickly lets you
know that you have arrived. This bodega, the 'seventh' in a line
of nine international wineries owned by the Codorniu company is
a modern sandstone-colored edifice flanked by massive stone encrusted
production facilities and blessed with a fine view of the Andes
. Winemaker Ruben Calvo oversees production of Septima's wines
and takes special pride in his exceptionally tasty and reasonably
priced 'Maria' bottling, currently reserved only for the domestic
market. The 2004 version of this sparkling wine is 80% Chardonnay
(all sourced from the cool Valle de Uco) and 20% Pinot Noir; the
wine's 9 - 11 grams/liter of residual sugar places it firmly in
the Brut category. We were fortunate enough to taste the base
wines (the tart still wines that are blended together before undergoing
a second fermentation in the bottle) for Calvo's 2005 'Maria',
they showed great promise. Ruben hopes to add another sparkling
wine to the 'Maria' line made entirely of Pinot Noir, it should
make a tasty accompaniment to your favorite Patagonian salmon.
Luigi Bosca
Bodega Luigi Bosca is a long-time player on the local wine scene,
best known for their high-end 'Finca Los Nobles' line of wines
they have branched off into many directions and to many quality
levels. Winemaker Jose Hernandez Toso is the firm hand in command
of Bosca's ultra-premium and attractively bottled sparkling wine
'Boheme.' This full-bodied offering uses all three traditional
Champagne grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) the
latter grape providing the boldly rich and youthful fruitiness
to the blend. In a unique move, Jose places a portion of the base
wine in French oak for a spell before conducting the second fermentation.
As with many wines made in the traditional method 'Boheme' spends
24 months on its lees following its second fermentation, adding
nuance and complexity to the finished wine. Everybody's favourite
red wine. It is the popular choice world wide and though the Argentine
variety is not as exceptional as Malbec, it shows much promise
if cultivated properly. The best is produced in the cooler, higher
regions of Mendoza. When young it tastes of plums, raspberries
and red currant. Let it mature
and it becomes elegant and complex.
Recommended brands include Ruca malen, Dolium, Fabre-Montmayou,
Luigi Bosca, Norton, Tittarelli and Weinert.
Rosell-Boher
Alejandro Martinez Rosell's team at Rosell-Boher are dedicated
to making very special ultra-premium wines. This operation annually
creates up to 30,000 bottles of sparkling wine solely produced
by the traditional method, they are striving to blend the spirit
of Champagne with the soil of Mendoza . This small operation sources
its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from both Maipu and the cooler
climes of Tupungato further south, all the while investing time
and energy into isolating the best clones for these specific regions.
Everything detail is labored over, free-run juice from whole clusters
of grapes undergoes a generously slow 45 - 60 day fermentation
followed by at least 30 months of lees contact following the second
fermentation, this is the royal treatment. The Brut line of sparkling
wine is produced every year, the Grand Cru line is produced only
in the finest vintages and most people will sooner see the Sasquatch
and Loch Ness Monster embroiled in a game of Bacci Ball than a
bottle of the rare 100% Pinot Noir Rose (making up less than 9%
of their overall production). Each line from Rosell Boher is bottled
in imported French glass and can be obtained in only a few select
locations.
Lagarde
Founded in 1897, the Pescarmona family's Bodega Lagarde has long
been a quality-minded traditional producer. Each wine that passes
through their doors is estate produced and bottled and only 40%
of total production makes it out of the country. Looking like
a young version of nostalgic American pop singer Donny Osmond,
winemaker Juan Roby Stordeur does an effective job of producing
Lagarde's top-quality 'Extra Brut' sparkling wine. All of the
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes for this pleasantly dry product
(only 4.5 grams/liter of residual sugar) are sourced from the
Tupungato region. Like Luigi Bosca's 'Boheme,' the 'Extra Brut'
from Lagarde spends 24 months on its lees following its secondary
fermentation; but unlike many bubbly wines in the world the 'Extra
Brut' sees no malolactic fermentation, leaving it a laser-bright
and exquisitely crisp sparkling wine. Incidentally, Lagarde also
makes an Italian-style Moscato Giallo-based bubbly produced by
the Charmat or 'tank' method. Never mind the technical details
with this one, it's seductively sweet peaches and white flower
aromas will make you happy that this half-bottle-only product
doesn't leave Argentina !
All the above bodegas are in the Lujan
de Cuyo district and are easily covered in a one day wine tour
with an effervescent theme.
