TERROIR & VITICULTURE
We believe by using the most environmentally friendly practices, allied to the latest and most environmentally friendly techniques, whenever we plant new vineyards we have several considerations.
Terrain
We speak with previous owners or with local people who know the land well, like elderly neighbors, to determine whether the soil is good, if it has good drainage, what was grown there previously (usually vineyards).
We then do a soil analysis, and if necessary, make corrections of nutrients and organic matter.
Through the soil analyses we determine which grape variety and rootstock (for grafting) are most suited to the terrain and the climate for the production of top quality wines.
In the first season, after the grape vines are planted, posts and wires are put in place to train the vines.
In year two, after pruning and leaving two buds, we tie the trunk to the first wire. In year three we “open the arms” (cordon training) to train the shoots along the first wire bilaterally. Only after year four do we harvest the first grapes, thus creating the ideal conditions for the upward growth and root formation of the vines, and providing the best conditions to produce grapes for many years to come. From the time they are planted, the vines are treated with natural products so that our wines are considered of integrated and organic production.
Annual Crop
According to the results of our soil analyses, we periodically add organic matter to the soil.
Pruning is done in February/March, at which time we guide the plants, cutting of all the unnecessary wood. We leave a maximum of four stems per branch. The goal is to prepare the plants for a new season, not with excess production but with a better production.
Normally in April the blossoming has occurred and we do the first treatment and disinfection with sulfur.
In May/June we guide the new growth along the wires so they get the necessary airing and are less susceptible to funguses.
In May/June we guide the new growth along the wires so they get the necessary airing and are less susceptible to funguses.
In June when the grapes colour up, if necessary, we prune (green pruning) to reduce the amount of grapes so that the remaining ones can develop and ripen better so produce a better wine. Our productions never exceed six tons per hectare. From the beginning of August we start doing weekly maturation controls so that we can plan with as much accuracy as possible the ideal time for the grape harvest.
The Harvest
The harvest is the culmination of a year’s work. The entire harvest is done manually by family, friends, partners, and some hired help who come every year – all of them people we trust and who have become, above everything, friends.
The grapes for our red, white, rosé and sparkling wines are put into small 12 kg bins. The harvest usually extends for over a month and a half, allowing enough time to establish the right picking cadence for each variety according to its perfect ripeness.
The grapes for our red, white, rosé and sparkling wines are put into small 12 kg bins. The harvest usually extends for over a month and a half, allowing enough time to establish the right picking cadence for each variety according to its perfect ripeness.
Vinification
After the grapes are picked, they are placed in a low temperature environment so that their taste and aromas are passed on to the wine. Then they are placed in mechanical or foot treading tanks (“lagares”), or in a balseiro tank, thus obtaining great quality musts.
After alcoholic fermentation, the wines are piped through gravity to vats. The best grapes are left to age in oak barrels that come from the best cooperies in the world.
After alcoholic fermentation, the wines are piped through gravity to vats. The best grapes are left to age in oak barrels that come from the best cooperies in the world.
