Argentina’s Caserena launches premium wine range in UK

Bodegas Caserena has launched three premium wines in the UK priced up to £80 a bottle, highlighting its confidence in Argentina’s growing premium position and quality of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Caserena’s Icono is a blend of the best barrels of its DNA Malbec and DNA Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Launched at a dinner held in London’s St Pancras clock tower this week, Caserena’s DNA range comprises two varietal wines; a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec. In each case, the wines has been produced from the producer’s best plots in Agrelo and Perdriel in the Lujan de Cuyo in Mendoza.

Over several years Caserena has been working to identify the best vines from single plots across its vineyards in Agrelo and Pedriel, using massal selection and old vines. Having identified the best vines to produce DNA, these were replicated and grafted across three vineyards.

“We did what is called a population selection which is based on a massal selection”, explained Martin Cambet, sales director for Caserena, at the launch. “These are the best Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon vines from this area”.

“After five years of investigation we came up with our own massal selection and we replicated that massal selection using grafted vines in three vineyards. So we now have multiple vineyards with vines that have the same DNA.”

Its top wine, Caserena Icono, is a blend of the very best barrels of DNA Malbec and DNA Cabernet Sauvignon.

Just 300 bottles of each wine will be made available to the UK, with the DNA wines expected to carry a retail price of around £60 a bottle and the Icono £80.

“The wines will be placed into selected routes to market to include both the on-trade and off-trade”, said Noel Reid, wine buyer and Robinson’s who are importing the wine.

“Due to the nature of their rarity we feel it a great opportunity for these particular super-premium examples to find differing routes to the consumer.”

While Malbec is Argentina’s most prominent variety, Cambet highlighted the need for consumers to take greater note of its Cabernet Sauvignon, which he said represents some of the best value wines from Argentina.

“When you seen a Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina it is going to be the best value”, he said. “If we can teach the consumer that then Argentina will be something other than Malbec.”

Winemakers are also paying closer attention to Cabernet Franc, despite the country being planted with just 500 hectares of the variety.

“Because of this you will only ever find high quality Cabernet Franc. Malbec is everywhere and I am very proud of it, but when you see a Cabernet Franc it will be an amazing wine because it is only worth making the highest quality with these quantities.  It’s just a matter of telling the consumer.”

While Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are its priorities, the producer has also been experimenting with alternative varieties at its developing Naoki vineyard having planted varieties as diverse as Mouvédre, Viognier and Marsanne. While located within Agrelo, the company is lobbying for Naoki to be recognised as sitting within its own sub-region, given how different it chalk-based soils are to the rest of the region.

Its DNA and Icono wines will be available through Robinson Wines from the end of September.

Bodegas Caserena in Mendoza, Argentina