Mauricio Lorca challenges himself with Spanish terroirs

Although famous for Mendoza Malbec, Mauricio Lorca has turned to Spain to explore radically different regions.

Mauricio Lorca has more than enough to keep him busy in his home region. Born in Rivadavia, Mendoza, he has worked his way to the topmost levels of Argentinian winemaking by focusing on his local terroirs.

With spells at Catena Zapata and Luigi Bosca on his CV, he then launched a winery with business partner Enrique Foster in 2002. The creation of Bodega Foster Lorca cemented his place as one of Argentina’s most exciting winemakers. That has been proven by the string of awards and medals that has followed.

However, he has not rested on his laurels. While Mendoza has steadily gained a strong reputation for fine wine, he has not turned solely to its terroirs. Indeed for Lorca, who sees winemaking as an artistic pursuit, every new variety, soil and climate is a new canvas.

He therefore continues to make expressive Mendoza wines, particularly under the Mauricio Lorca Autor de Vinos range. His work in Argentina features Malbec, naturally, but also Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Bonarda and even Muscat and Criolla.

However, his curiosity to explore has pushed him further. Indeed, it has led him across an ocean.

Selecting Spanish terroirs

In a neat mirror image of the 16th Century first journey of Vitis vinifera over the Atlantic Ocean to Argentina, Lorca has crossed the Atlantic to bring his expertise to Europe. His project, since 2019, has been to explore the potential of two regions of Spain.

In the Ribeira Sacra, a Denomiación de Origen (DO) in Atlantic-influenced Galicia, he has embraced the notion of ‘heroic viticulture’. The region is very different both to Mendoza and much of Spain – in fact, Galicia is often nicknamed ‘Green Spain’ for its verdant hills and dramatic landscapes.

Those hills offer an appreciable challenge, and the reason for the ‘heroic’ moniker. Their steep inclines make viticulture exceptionally difficult, as well as expensive and labour intensive. It has meant that traditional practices, such as hand harvesting, are essential for most winegrowing.

Lorca recognises that difficulty, but also celebrates the heritage that it conveys. Moreover, the combination of foggy days, steep slopes and an Atlantic influence can create fresh, lively wines. He crafts these using the central local grape variety, Mencia, alongside other indigenous varieties such as Brancellao, Merenzao, Souson and Godello. It is certainly different, and certainly difficult, but for a winemaker with such an artistic approach to viticulture, that is precisely the point.

His second region of focus presents a distinct challenge. Castilla y León is much more associated with commercial winemaking. Its high elevation plateau encompasses several of Spain’s most prestigious winegrowing regions, including Ribera del Duero and Toro, but the vino de la tierra designation itself is often overlooked.

There is, however, a parallel between Castilla y León and Lorca’s home region. Mendoza is also a high elevation plateau. Certainly, few people in the wine trade would infer from that fact that Mendoza is incapable of making fine wine.

Lorca thus takes his vineyards, situated at 950 metres above sea level and planted in arid, stony soils, as a challenge. While his work in the Ribeira Sacra emphasises tradition, in Castilla y León he also turns to innovation.

Using modern winemaking technology, he is supporting the resurgence of traditional grapes such as Albarin and Prieto Picudo. Once nearly extinct, they are now recovering thanks to enthusiastic winemakers.

Lorca’s Calma Indómita line, for instance, showcases the native varieties through precision winemaking. The aim, in a precise, controlled approach, is to preserve their natural acidity and aromatic complexity.

To work across the three regions, spread over two continents would be daunting to many. Yet to Lorca, it is fundamentally tied to his mindset. Just as the artist will celebrate a diversity of mediums to inform their work, so too does Lorca celebrate a variety of terroirs and traditions to make better wines. It is a global approach, yes, but all in service of getting the best from each vineyard.

Global Wine Masters judges tasted some of the Mauricio Lorca’s award-winning wines at The Global Malbec Masters 2024. Their notes are provided below:

Enrique Foster Single Vineyard Los Barrancos 2021

• Region: Uco Valley
• Country: Argentina
• Grape variety: 100% Malbec
• ABV: 14.7%
• Approximate retail price: £20
• Medal: Gold

An appealing, refreshing and generous Malbec with notes of cherry, plums and blackberries, even a hint of raspberry jam, allied to flavours of cracked black pepper, charred bread and dark chocolate, along with a touch of spicy rocket leaf and then a firm, fine, mouth-coating tannic finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Enrique Foster Edición Limitada Malbec 2020

• Region: Uco Valley
• Country: Argentina
• Grape variety: 100% Malbec
• ABV: 14.8%
• Approximate retail price: £47
• Medal: Gold

This delicious limited-edition Malbec is loaded with rich ripe red and dark berry fruit allied to a lovely combination of spicy green pepper and rucola, rose petals and fresh plums. While dense and dark, it’s also lively, with a medium-weight feel and plenty of dry tannins to give it a slightly chewy texture and mouth-watering finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Mauricio Lorca Gran Malbec 2020

• Region: Uco Valley
• Country: Argentina
• Grape variety: 100% Malbec
• ABV: 13.8%
• Approximate retail price: £47
• Medal: Gold

This fine, structured, serious Malbec is loaded with summer-pudding like characters of ripe red berry fruit, with creamy notes too, and a touch of jam, then chocolate and coconut, cracked pepper and dried herbs. Dense and mouth-filling, but with a lovely finish, featuring a lingering note of dark chocolate and a fine, dry tannic grip. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Bodega Mauricio Lorca Enrique Foster Firmado 2020

• Region: Uco Valley
• Country: Argentina
• Grape variety: 100% Malbec
• ABV: 14.7%
• Approximate retail price: £55
• Medal: Gold

Selected from grapes from the winery’s two estate vineyards planted in 1919 and 1956 in Mayor Drummond and Las Compuertos, this is a fantastic expression of Malbec. Deep ruby in hue, the wine exudes brambles, blackberries and dark cherries accented by tobacco and dark chocolate and spices. Dry, the sweet-fruited palate has a full body, racy acidity and grainy tannins supporting the exquisite flavours. A wine suitable for roast guinea fowl with Asian black-bean sauce. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Mauricio Lorca Ancestral Malbec 2021

• Region: Uco Valley
• Country: Argentina
• Grape variety: 100% Malbec
• ABV: 14.4%
• Approximate retail price: £80
• Medal: Gold

A deeply-coloured and intensely-aromatic wine with inviting scents of dried herbs, violets and black fruit. One sip reveals layers of concentrated berry fruit flavours, with some laurel and rose petal, smoky toast and black pepper, and then a persistent finish, with a dry sensation from dense, mouth-coating tannins. A wine that makes a strong and favourable impression now, but also one with the power and balance to cellar for five to 10 years. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

 

Related news

Small glass of wine better for the heart than statins, study claims

On the ninth day

The biggest drinks acquisitions of 2024