Argentina reports on ‘intense’ 2015 harvest

Argentine winemakers are confident in the quality of the country’s 2015 vintage having battled heavy rainfall and frost that contributed to a “challenging” harvest.

Vineyards in Mendoza

Publishing its 2014/15 harvest report today, Wines of Argentina said that by 30 April 2015, the harvest of grapes in Argentina had surpassed 23 million tons, which represented a 10.12% drop on the previous year, and an 8% drop with respect to the average harvest in the last 14 years.

Mendoza ranked first, producing 71.8% of the country’s grapes, followed by San Juan with 21.69% and La Rioja with 3.68%. Together, the three regions represent the harvest in the Cuyo region, which amounts to over 97% of Argentina’s total harvest. Salta meanwhile accounts for 1.33% of the country’s grape harvest.

Overall, around 13,333 ha (32,945 acres) of vineyards in the country was subjected to adverse weather conditions, 40% of which was affected by hail and the remaining 60% by frost. However the south and east of Mendoza bore the brunt of the bad weather, affected by both hail and frost, which damaged almost 6% of its vineyards – a figure above previous years of between 3% and 4%.

Andrea Marchiori, winemaker at the Viña Cobos Winery in Mendoza, said heavy rainfall during the harvest season and relatively high humidity had resulted in challenging conditions, but that the quality of its wines had remained consistent.

“Mendoza was witness to a complex harvest season, a challenging one for all producers given the climate conditions and the industry’s general context”, she said. “However, we believe painstaking work in the vineyard combined with sensible decisions taken at the right time in the harvest season guaranteed the desired consistent quality in our wines.”

Andrea Marchiori, winemaker at the Viña Cobos Winery

Leonardo Erazo of Bodega Altos Las Hormigas in Mendoza, described it as a “difficult and intense harvest”, which called for harvesting all crops in a shorter span of time.

“We deliberately took some risks, but always bearing in mind our intention to highlight the fresh and mineral side to our wines, a side that adds another dimension to the complexity of Argentine Malbec. After all, we mean to reach the next level in Argentine wine.”

Malbec now holds a 20.42% share of plantings in the country, the biggest of any Argentine grape variety, while Torrontés Riojano is currently the country’s most widely planted white variety, accounting for 4.3% of plantings. Overall, red varieties lead representing 50% of total production, with white and rosé wines accounting for 27.5% and 22% respectively.

Commenting on the harvest, the report said: “The 2014-2015 season progressed more smoothly for some regions than for others. Losses from adverse climatic factors remained within the historical mean. The more serious weather complications occurred in Mendoza, where the heavy rainfall during the harvest season translated into a series of difficulties at the time of harvesting and made it necessary to bring the harvest date forward in some cases, in addition to conducting the required field practices so as to preserve the wines’ desired quality and style.”

A two-day joint tasting hosted by Wines of Chile and Wines of Argentina will take place in London on 9/10 September. Mercado Andino: A Journey Across the Andes, will feature more than 130 wineries, from boutique producers to established big brands, bringing with them more than 1,000 wines to taste.

For more information and to register you attendance click here.

Click through for an in depth report on the country’s 2015 vintage by its winemakers following what was a challenging but successful harvest….

SALTA

Ignacio López – Pernod Ricard

“The short yet intense winter provided the necessary amount of cold hours without major complications. Spring arrived 10 days earlier than normal and, fortunately, no late frosts were recorded. Bud break was even but also took place earlier than the average time. A dry spring meant no preventive measures were needed to avoid the development of diseases.

“By the end of the first fortnight in January, a hail storm hit part of the Cafayate Valley, leading to a yield drop in some parcels. This did not have, however, a significant impact in the quality of the harvest, since no further rainfall was recorded after the hail storm. Weather conditions were optimal in February and March, with little rain and no extreme temperatures that could compromise the integrity of the grapes.

“The prospects for the wines of the 2015 harvest from Cafayate are very positive: wines today display great volume and intensity, in addition to excellent grape ripeness, all of which promises immense aging potential for the red varieties and great intensity and aromatic freshness for the white ones.”

SAN JUAN

Marcelo Onofri – Bodega Merced del Estero

“From an oenological perspective, the 2015 harvest at Tulum Valley (the main production area in the province) may be labeled as a very good one, especially when compared to last year’s. Weather conditions during the vegetative cycle did not feature major climate events or very late frosts, except in the high-altitude valleys, where a number of late frosts aected some specific vineyards, but were not generalized.

“Bud break and flowering were both very good and even, with a significant number of clusters emerging early on. In terms of yield, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, Pinot Grigio, Syrah, and Malbec registered the same as in 2014. However, this was not the case of Torrontés Sanjuanino, Torrontés Riojano, and Cereza, all of which reduced their yield. The remaining varieties were able to maintain the same levels as the previous year.”

“Torrontés harvested at its regular time, steely green with very intense notes of citrus, grapefruit, roses, citrus blossoms, tropical fruit, and aromas reminiscent of Muscat. With very good alcohol levels, in general, the wine comes forth in the mouth as expressive, long and generous. Typically outstanding red wines, their great color intensity and lively hues, frank and intense aromas are all the result of appropriate ripeness and good sanitary conditions. Tannins presented good quality and mellow sweet notes for young wines, as well as good structure and aging potential for the more developed ones.

“Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot were ready for harvest a few days ahead of their average, displaying predominantly fruity and flowery aromas as well as spicy notes that added freshness, a contribution of the pleasantly ripe fruit. In the mouth, the wines display their full body, sweet tannins, good acidity and long finish.

“Malbec, Tannat and Cabernet Franc were harvested at their ideal ripening time. Good sanitary conditions and the absence of overly warm weather on the days prior to harvest contributed to achieving good phenolic maturity, and thus most interesting wines across all ranges in most cases. Aromas of red fruit predominate, as well as frank, intense aromas. Ripe tannins lent good character, sweetness, very good texture, acidity and aging potential.

“Bonarda and Cabernet Sauvignon, like the other red grapes, ripened well, except those located in areas where a number of phytosanitary issues forced an early harvest of the grapes so as to avoid greater problems. Nevertheless, most of these varieties improved their colors and aromas when compared to the previous season.”

MENDOZA

Andrea Marchiori, Luis Barraud y Paul Hobbs – Viña Cobos

“Since spring, the mean temperature surpassed historical records, especially in the ripening months. The annual mean temperature was between 0.5 and 1.3 °C above that of the previous year, taking Perdriel (Luján de Cuyo) and La Consulta (Uco Valley) as points of reference. In addition to this, the minimum temperature was 2.7 °C above the annual average, which led to phenological cycles being completed earlier and favored early ripening, especially in the white varieties.

“Over the course of the summer, in general, maximum temperatures were not as hot as in previous years, which led into a pleasant, long, frost-free fall. High humidity, overall great instability and rainfall above average were the main characteristics of this cycle, in which the rain season began towards the end of December and lasted until March. Just by way of example, Perdriel registered 247 mm rainfall between January and April, which represents a 21% increase with respect to the same period last year. The most important difference took place in March, with 89 mm rainfall in that month alone—six times as much as in March 2014 and almost half the typical annual average rainfall.

“Another relevant factor besides rainfall was the relative high humidity, 9.5% higher in average in the harvest months (February, March and April) when compared to the same period over the last nine years. In the face of these environmental conditions, leaf-thinning was practiced as from February onwards to enhance cluster ventilation. Canopy management and an adequate vineyard treatment plan were implemented, in addition to planting gramineous cover crops between the lines. Lastly, a series of appropriate harvesting decisions helped minimize the effects of a humid season.”

Martin Kaiser – Bodega Doña Paula

“The year was quite regular in terms of the temperatures recorded, both in spring and summer. January and February were characterized by maximum temperatures a little below the historical mean, while March and April recorded both minimum and maximum temperatures above historical values. The average temperature for the entire season in Gualtallary, Tupungato, was 18.1 °C (historical value: 18 °C), while Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo, had an average temperature of 20.1 °C (historical value: 19.8 °C).

“Spring began with very dry weather which, similarly to what happened in the 2014 harvest, turned into a summer with heavier rainfall than usual, particularly in January, February, and March. This represented a great challenge in terms of grape harvesting planning.

“In the face of this scenario, it became necessary to prioritize grape health over ripeness to decide on a harvest date. By the end of the season, the rainfall recorded between October and April in Gualtallary, Tupungato, amounted to 336 mm (historical level: 236mm), and 327.6 mm (historical level: 247.35 mm) in Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo.”

Leonardo Erazo, Bodega Altos Las Hormigas

“The 2015 harvest was in fact atypical from a macro perspective: very warm for the first two months, after which there followed steady rainy periods in some areas, and a few hail storms that seriously damaged a large portion of the acreage.

“Some of the vineyards that are ideal for the production of high quality Malbec suffered greatly and had their quality compromised. Rot became very common as from March, and downy mildew extended to the greater areas of Perdriel and Agrelo in Luján de Cuyo. Hail severely aected areas like El Peral, Tupungato, where up to 50% of the yield was lost.

“In our case, given the early reduction of natural acidity, we decided to begin harvesting the shallower soils a little earlier than in a regular year, in an attempt to keep the acid natural, pleasant and fresh. We then proceeded to harvest the deeper soils, which also ripened earlier than usual. Our harvest was not based on calendar dates but on our sensory analysis of grape quality, which meant working on a human scale, tasting all vineyard parcels and harvesting right before the rain fell down.

“It was a difficult and intense harvest for us, since it called for harvesting all crops in a shorter span of time. We deliberately took some risks, but always bearing in mind our intention to highlight the fresh and mineral side to our wines, a side that adds another dimension to the complexity of Argentine Malbec. After all, we mean to reach the next level in Argentine wine.”

PATAGONIA

Marcelo Miras, Bodega Fin del Mundo

“The end of April 2014 saw the beginning of early frost, very common in the region, with temperatures close to -3.0 °C. By the end of the fall and all throughout the winter, the weather was cold with normal mean rainfall for the area (65 mm approximately). From May to August, frosts had minimum temperatures go as low as -6.0 °C. Spring was very favorable, with one cold front in mid – October that affected some productive areas in the region. However, in the non-affected areas it allowed for a vigorous vegetative start and good bud break, flowering, and fruit set. Rainfall amounted to 90 mm in what was a relatively humid spring.

“By the end of this season, the weather remained temperate, a characteristic that extended throughout the summer. December and January showed average maximum temperatures of 28.6 °C and 28.4 °C respectively, both below the figures the year before. February temperatures were similar, with 28.3 °C in average, as were those in March, with maximum average temperatures of 26 °C.

“Rainfall in this period amounted to 70 mm. Maximum average temperature in April was 20 °C, with rainfall amounting to 14 mm. By the end of the month, some occurrences of mild frost had temperatures drop to -1.0 °C. The spring-summer period did not present any relevant phytopathological disorders that could compromise vine development. Irrigation continued in February, March, and April. In general, no shoot- or leaf-thinning were practiced.”