AN EARLY, DEMANDING HARVEST WITH EXCELLENT QUALITY
The 2023 vintage was warm and very dry, which gave us excellent health and quality in the grapes. It is a year that is also characterized by lower yields, due to the frost in the spring of 2022. Knowing the particularities of each place in the vineyards allowed us to define the harvest time for each area very precisely, always in search of freshness, the expression of place and avoiding overripeness.
This year’s wines show great purity and transparency, with vibrant acidity and an enormous complexity of aromas.
Every year, the harvest season represents a new journey, a new challenge in which, as a team, we learn to interpret a little better what each place has to offer us.
The pre-harvest season of 2023 blessed us with sunny and bright days that characterize Mendoza, with warm temperatures and a very dry environment.
Spring of 2022 found the vineyards with slightly delayed bud break (between 5 and 10 days, depending on the area). The initial growth was slow, in line with slightly lower temperatures than usual. The absence of rainfall and low humidity marked the season from the beginning. Irrigation at the end of winter was essential for the vineyards to start their vigorous growth.
As in every dry season, the health of the plants was excellent, but the downside was the occurrence of spring frosts. In particular, the early morning of November 1st will be remembered for many years due to an exceptionally intense frost, very atypical for the date. Although the effect was felt in all the oases of Mendoza, it was in the Uco Valley where temperatures reached the most extreme levels. This event marked the entire development of the cycle and led to a harvest with low yields, the smallest in the history of our province.
Once December started, temperatures began to rise steadily, and the heat settled throughout the province. The absence of precipitation, which is usual in the last days of the year, was notable. As temperatures increased, the vegetative cycle, which had started late, began to accelerate, and veraison occurred on the usual dates. The months of January and February were characterized by high temperatures and almost no rainfall. In this context, vineyard management was crucial. Meticulous irrigation control, daily observation, and proper vegetation management allowed our plants to stay green and not become stressed in the face of high temperatures. Maintaining the foliage’s greenness was essential to protect the clusters from the sun and ripen the vines without imbalances.
Special mention should be given to white varieties, which could be harvested in all areas with exceptional health due to the absence of rain. The Gualtallary Chardonnay inaugurated the 2023 harvest on the unusual date of February 7th, ten days earlier than the previous harvest! The Semillon at Los Membrillos vineyard, Chenin in Vista Flores, and all white varieties at our Las Cuchillas de San Pablo vineyard reached their optimal maturity with excellent acidity.
With virtually no interruptions, the first Malbec from the stoniest soils of Gualtallary followed the whites, and the first clusters were harvested on February 27th. The month of March passed with clear, sunny, and dry days. This allowed for high thermal amplitude values and a sustained ripening of the clusters, resulting in excellent concentration.
Historic first harvest of the terrace of Finca Agua de La Jarilla. Gualtallary Monasterio, 1385 m | 4544 ft.
The pace of the harvest was very fast in Gualtallary, although slightly delayed in the Paraje Altamira area. Both areas finished their harvests in March, but our vineyards in San Pablo had harvest dates similar to those of every year, as if the climatic rhythm of the area had its own pace. This extended harvest window allowed us to have more time to determine the harvest moments and to treat each vinification with patience and care.
In the first week of April, we harvested the majority of Malbec and Cabernet Franc at the Las Cuchillas vineyard, and on the 11th of that month, we picked the last clusters of Bonarda, thus concluding the season.
Thanks to our deep knowledge of our terroirs and the team’s experience, along with their constant presence in the vineyards, we were able to make the right decisions in defining the harvest moments for each place and soil type. In this way, every parcel of every vineyard was harvested at the precise moment.
Thus, a dynamic and exciting harvest came to a close. It was a harvest where each place in the Uco Valley showcased its identity through the wine, and where we learned and enjoyed another year of its diversity and richness.
HARVEST DATES OF OUR VINEYARDS
FINCA AGUA DE LA JARILLA
Gualtallary
Between February 7 and March 21
FINCA LAS CERRILLADAS
Gualtallary
Between February 10 and March 21
FINCA LOS MEMBRILLOS
Paraje Altamira
Between February 13 and March 17
FINCA PIEDRA INFINITA
Paraje Altamira
Between February 27 and April 4
FINCA LAS CUCHILLAS
San Pablo
Between February 27 and April 11
FINCA CANAL UCO
Paraje Altamira
Between March 17 and April 3
THE WINES
Martin di Stefano, Agronomist Laura Principiano, Winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi, Viticulturist
Thanks to the dry and warm season, the grapes had excellent health, which is reflected in pure, clean, and very transparent wines.
The reds offer ripe, elegant, and approachable tannins, with very good juiciness. The whites, with excellent natural acidity, showcase freshness and elegance. All the wines exhibit great tension and vibrancy.
