TN : A Lisa 2012, Bodega Noemia, Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 90% Malbec, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. The pH is 3.90 and the titratable acidity is 5.81 grammes per litre. 87,910 bottles (7,325 cases) and 20 Magnums were produced. The harvest, in the five hectares vineyard of Valle Azul, began on the 13th of February 2012 with the Merlot, then on the 14th for the Malbec and finally on the 23rd for the Petit Verdot. These grapes were from the owned single vineyard in the desert.  The grapes were picked later in the Valley and the other Merlot on the 23rd February through to the Malbec which ended on the 27th March 2012. The grapes were all picked by hand into 10 kg crates. All the grapes were destemmed by machine at the winery into small 2,500 litre and 5,000 litre cement vats and 10,000 litre stainless steel tanks. The grapes were then cold-soaked for four days before yeast fermentation started; a controlled yeast called F10 by Laffort was used. The alcoholic fermentation lasted two weeks, using the “pigeage” or “plunging” and “pumping over” methods to extract the color and tannins. After the fermentation, 30 % of the wine was transferred into third and fourth use French oak barrels of the finest quality, 25% into cement tank and 45% into stainless steel tank for a period of 9 months. The malolactic fermentation occurred naturally in the same barrels and vats for about one month with no batonnage. The wine was racked and blended the 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th of January 2013. The wine was then bottled unfiltered the first two weeks of February 2013.

The estate is situated in Rio Negro Valley, which is 620 miles South of Buenos Aires, 280 miles east of the Andes, 310 miles west of the Atlantic and a further 1240 miles from Tierra del Fuego, located in the middle of the desert. The valley’s microclimate is under the influence of two rivers deriving from the Andes, the Neuquen and the Limay which form into the Rio Negro, which throws itself into the Atlantic. The Rio Negro valley is an ex-glacier which is 310 miles long and 15,5 miles large at 250 yards above sea level. In 1828, the British colonies, having observed the large amounts of water flowing down the river, decided to create channels which would irrigate the valley thus forming a type of oasis in the middle of the desert.

One quarter of the grapes are estate grown from an own vineyard planted in 2004 in Valle Azul in the desert, which is cultivated organically and Bio-Dynamically (both certified by respectfully Argencer and Demeter) and drip irrigated. The other three quarters are grapes were partly sourced at the INTA (Agricultural Research Centre) and various producers and sites that vines are leased from.

The winter of 2011 was very cold and humid. The spring was somewhat windy and cool and lasted until beginning December, which was very long. The summer only began in January but came in force as it was hotter than usual and was for the entire month and all of February as well. Then harvest started and March was cool again but wetter than usual, it rained almost every weekend which is not a very common thing for the area. The autumn went straight into winter. It became cold quite soon, the first frost as early as the 27th of March, which forced picking early.

This wine was imported by JPC Wines AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Roasted herbs, oak, blackberry, plums, spice

Taste : Blackcurrant, blackberry, herby, milk chocolate, acidic lift on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 141 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95043

Website : Bodega Noemia