I have been through the Cafayate region and its surrounding twice to visit various Bodegas (wineries) and I find the region resembles something out of a Salvador Dalí painting.
Besides my watch nearly melting onto my wrist, this desolate, arid landscape stretches infinitely into the horizon. Traveling by bus between wineries and through much of the outskirts of the region (all the way until La Paz, Bolivia actually, stopping in Uyuni to see the truly spectacular Salar de Uyuni–the world’s largest salt flat–and other high desert locales) I kept thinking to myself, “How do people live here?” In reality, the people of the region–much more “indigenous” looking, short and dark than the very European looking Porteños–have very little to live on besides llama meat, products made from llama wool, and a few specialized types of high desert corn that grow there. Besides that, the only thing that grows is grapes.
For grape-growing, and especially for Torrontés grapes, no better region in the world exists. At 2000+ meters altitude (over 6000 feet–as high as Timerbline Lodge for you Portlanders out there) the diurnal temperature differential is enormous, it never rains yet water sources are close, and the soil makes the grapes work hard. Some very interesting Malbec comes out of that region as well.
Here is what Matt Kramer, a wine writer for various publications has to say about one particular malbec:
One of the pesky things about wine is all the names: grape varieties, producers, regions, districts, brands and so on. No sooner do you feel that, finally, you have a grip on one slippery subject than another unfamiliar appears. Here’s one more: Cafayate Valley.
Never heard of it? You will, I promise. Located in northern Argentina, the valley is the source of some of Argentina’s best wines, especially (but not exclusively) malbec.
Cafayate Valley has some of the world’s highest-elevation vineyards, typically at 5,500 feet. (In comparison, a high elevation vineyard in California is 1,500 to 2,200 feet.) Such an elevation guarantees diurnal temperature extremes, where afternoon temperatures plummet at night, typically from the mid-80s during the day to the mid-50s at night. This preserves acidity, which would otherwise “bake out” during warm nights.
The valley sees little rain (three to six inches a year) and tremendous sunshine. Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, the vineyards are irrigated thanks to ample water from mountain snowpacks.
What matters is what you find in the glass. In the case of Cuma Malbec 2007 from Michel Torino Estate, you’ll discover a startlingly fine red wine delivering not just the expected plum and black currant flavors but an unexpected measure of earthy, almost medicinal notes that may derive from the zone’s rocky soils. One thing is clear: What you’re tasting is no simple “pure fruit” play. There’s a dimension that comes from the site itself, not just the grape.
Because the Cafayate Valley is so dry, it lends itself easily to organic vineyard practices (no molds or rot that plague winegrowers in humid or wet locales that require sprays). Michel Torino Estate, with 1,500 acres of vines, is committed to organically grown grapes, with Cuma 2007 made entirely from certified organic grapes.
Cuma, by the way, means “clean and pure” in the language of the Aymara, who occupied the high elevations of northern Argentina before the Incas.
This is impressive, dimensional, even eye-opening red wine of considerable subtlety, finesse and refinement.Click here for the whole article that was published in The Oregonian on August 17, 2008.
Earlier this week, WineSur (an industry website essentially about all things wine in Argentina) had an article about how Argentine wines might find a unique opportunity in the midst of the recent economic turndown.