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Finca La Celia demonstrates evolving relationship with Malbec
As the very first winery to plant Malbec in Uco Valley, Finca La Celia has led the way in exploring the potential of Mendoza's flagship grape. The post Finca La Celia demonstrates evolving relationship with Malbec appeared first on The Drinks Business.
As the very first winery to plant Malbec in Uco Valley, Finca La Celia has led the way in exploring the potential of Mendoza's flagship grape.
If looking for a Malbec with heritage, one could certainly turn to La Celia. The winery was the first producer to grow the variety in the Uco Valley, a renowned Mendoza sub-region known for its high-elevation plantings.
The first Malbec vines arrived in Argentina in 1853, and La Celia introduced the grape not long after; founder Eugenio Bustos traded horses for the vines in 1890. You might, therefore, expect a vertical tasting of the estate’s Heritage Malbec to be a celebration of a style finessed over more than a century.
That was, in part, accurate. One hundred years of making wine is bound to hone your craft. Yet, with winemaker Andrea Ferreyra guiding a tasting in London, the focus was much more on dynamism, adaptation and development. The story of the last 20 years, as shown in the tasting, is less about La Celia as an authoritative Mendoza Malbec and more about an estate responding to climate and terroir.
Even to speak about Mendoza Malbec can be misleading. As Ferreyra reminded attendees at the tasting, the Mendoza region is around half the size of Spain. That means that conditions vary considerably and, just as there is no definitive style of Spanish Tempranillo, there is no equivalent for Mendoza Malbec. Although some elements – high elevation, low rainfall and continentality – are common across the region, there is a need to communicate the range of Malbecs that Mendoza produces.
La Celia therefore focuses on its Uco Valley terroir. The winery is built on the estate model, growing grapes on its 380 hectares of plantings. The continuous vineyard spans three geographical indications: Paraje Altamira, La Consulta and Eugenio Bustos. Even in a small area such as this, Uco Valley terroirs vary considerably: travel just 20 kilometres across the sub-regions, and the average temperature can vary by as much as 2°C.
Of particular importance to Le Celia is Paraje Altamira, which accounts for 50% of its vineyards. The geographical indication is important in itself, as the first in Argentina to be defined according to soil type and history, rather than political boundaries. Its sandy-loam soils, with calcareous gravel throughout, provides La Celia wines with their chalky tannins and characteristic purity.
If looking for a Malbec with heritage, one could certainly turn to La Celia. The winery was the first producer to grow the variety in the Uco Valley, a renowned Mendoza sub-region known for its high-elevation plantings.
The first Malbec vines arrived in Argentina in 1853, and La Celia introduced the grape not long after; founder Eugenio Bustos traded horses for the vines in 1890. You might, therefore, expect a vertical tasting of the estate’s Heritage Malbec to be a celebration of a style finessed over more than a century.
That was, in part, accurate. One hundred years of making wine is bound to hone your craft. Yet, with winemaker Andrea Ferreyra guiding a tasting in London, the focus was much more on dynamism, adaptation and development. The story of the last 20 years, as shown in the tasting, is less about La Celia as an authoritative Mendoza Malbec and more about an estate responding to climate and terroir.
Even to speak about Mendoza Malbec can be misleading. As Ferreyra reminded attendees at the tasting, the Mendoza region is around half the size of Spain. That means that conditions vary considerably and, just as there is no definitive style of Spanish Tempranillo, there is no equivalent for Mendoza Malbec. Although some elements – high elevation, low rainfall and continentality – are common across the region, there is a need to communicate the range of Malbecs that Mendoza produces.
La Celia therefore focuses on its Uco Valley terroir. The winery is built on the estate model, growing grapes on its 380 hectares of plantings. The continuous vineyard spans three geographical indications: Paraje Altamira, La Consulta and Eugenio Bustos. Even in a small area such as this, Uco Valley terroirs vary considerably: travel just 20 kilometres across the sub-regions, and the average temperature can vary by as much as 2°C.
Of particular importance to Le Celia is Paraje Altamira, which accounts for 50% of its vineyards. The geographical indication is important in itself, as the first in Argentina to be defined according to soil type and history, rather than political boundaries. Its sandy-loam soils, with calcareous gravel throughout, provides La Celia wines with their chalky tannins and characteristic purity.
