Terroir
Date: 11/08/2006Terroir translates as “soil” or “region.” But this French word refers not only to the land and climate but also to the impact of man and machine on the land. Terroir determines the taste of food grown on a particular plot of land in a particular place. I consider terroir to refer to the soul of the land, and more specifically to man's relation with that soul.
Only the French seem to understand the concept completely. Thus, when a Frenchman starts carrying on and on about the fruit of a given terroir, you want to be around to eat it. Or in the case of wine, to drink it.
Enter Argentina and Alta Vista Wines.
In 1999 the d'Aulan family in France bought a winery and 270 acres of old vines in Mendoza, Argentina. They brought the winery and plantations up to French wine standards. Today, the winery sells half its wine in Argentina, and the other half in major export markets. Alta Vista Premium malbec sells for $7 here in Buenos Aires--around twice that in the U.S. and Europe--making it one of Argentina's best wine values. Alta Vista Premium has a rich, oaky flavor, very pleasing in an inexpensive wine.
However, Alta Vista aspires to much more (and higher prices) with their Grand Reserve and Alto labels. And now Alta Vista has introduced the notion of terroir in Argentina. They've copyrighted the "single vineyard" designation, and beginning last year started producing limited amounts (1,500 bottles) of their Single Vineyard wines ($25 in Argentina).
Vicki and I went to a tasting of three Single Vineyard 2004 malbecs. All three wines were finely balanced, with smooth tannins, and the right amount of oak. These wines seemed very flexible to me. I could imagine myself drinking them simply with cheese, or with a heavy Argentine asado (the traditional Argentine barbecued beef). Vicki preferred the smoothest of the three, the Serenade, while I liked the hardy Alizarine. Alternatives, that's what terroir is all about.
Philippe Rolet, head of Alta Vista, described the three terroirs (Temis, Serenade, and Alizarine) in loving detail. Soil conditions, mineral layers, vineyard elevation, slope, drainage. Silt, sand, clay, and calcium. Temperature and daylight hours. How old the vines are, how they're oriented towards the sun, how they're pruned, how the grapes are harvested. It all matters.
Wine makers make each wine separately, and age them in separate, new oak barrels. Terroir. Delicious.
You can only get these wines at top wine shops in Buenos Aires or directly from the winery in Mendoza. In Buenos Aires try the wine shops Winery or Ligier, with several branches around town. In Mendoza the winery is open every day--you can drop in or call to arrange a tour, tel. + 54 (0) 261-496-4684.
Paul Terhorst
For International Living
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P.S. Alta Vista has a website, http://www.altavistawines.com, but it’s Spanish-only at the moment.
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