Andeluna were in the limelight at last week´s Wine Maker`s Night at The Vines, and along with the story behind the bodega, guests were invited to try five of their wines. Michael Holder looks deep into his glass to tell us what Andeluna is all about.
With a history of involvement on the board of PepsiCo and of founding Frito-Lay, it certainly marked a change in direction when the Lay family decided to form the small boutique winery, Andeluna Cellars, in 2003. They began selling their wines two years later, and the accolades began pouring in almost straight away – including a gold trophy at the Argentina Wine awards.
As such, the winery has grown in popularity incredibly quickly, and now produces 1.6 million bottles a year. However, this Wednesday night's winemaker in attendance, Silvio Alberto, explains that Andeluna have no intention to grow bigger than 2 million bottles per year. "We want to remain a mid-sized winery," he said.
All 70 hectares of Andeluna's vineyards are based in Tupungato, Valle de Uco, and Alberto brought along four wines and three different styles from the area to try. Alberto said that "we are always searching for a lot of fuity character in the wine," and that he hoped to highlight the varied characteristics of the different wines Andeluna produces in Tupungato.
We were first given a sample of the 2010 Torrontes, which Alberto described as a "new style of Torrontes." Unusually, the Torrontes grapes are not sourced from Salta in the north, but entirely from their Tupungato vineyards. Alberto explained that they wanted to move away from the kind of sweetness normally associated with Torrontes, and to maintain a crisp, rather than bitter, finish.
In order to keep it as fresh as possible, the 2010 Torrontes is a young wine and has not been oak-aged - unlike many other Torrontes wines. "My opinion is that the process is similar to Sauvignon Blanc," said Alberto. To this end, Andeluna will actually release their 2011 Torrontes next month - as soon as it has fermented. "We want it fresh, easy-to-drink and summery," said Alberto.
Andeluna are also careful to select the yeast and control the fermentation, as according to Alberto the yeast used in Torrontes normally smells of "cat urine". This process allows winemakers to highlight different characteristics in the wine. Luckily for those drinking last Wednesday, Alberto is adamant (and correct): "This doesn´t smell of cat urine."
We were then handed another white – this time the Chardonnay Reserva 2006. Quite an old vintage for Argentinean wine, this has been aged in new oak barrels for a year. Alberto explained that they again wanted to produce a fresh wine and to highlight the fruit, "Nothing should be stronger than the fruit." Indeed, despite being an oak-aged wine at a relatively high 14.8% alcohol, the Chardonnay keeps a fruity freshness.
There aren´t many 2006 Argentinean Chardonnays available nowadays, but Alberto was keen to show the importance of releasing a wine when it is ready to drink. Statistics show that only 2% of buyers keep their wine for more than 48 hours, so releasing a wine too early can mean that it is not enjoyed properly. As the Vines´ host said, "if you buy young, you drink young."
It was time to move on to the reds, and fresh glasses containing the third wine began circulating. The limited edition Merlot 2009 is very dark in colour, and has been aged for six months in 50% French and 50% US barrels. Despite the slump in sales of Merlot in the USA in the last decade, Alberto believes Merlot´s popularity can grow once again. Alberto believes this is important as the Argentinean wine industry needs to diversify: "It´s hard to find markets for other Argentinean grapes, but we need to produce more Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and others."
The fourth wine is another Merlot, but this time the Reserva. Aged for 12 months in 80% French and 20% USA oak barrels, the Reserva has more ripe, cooked fruit and a greater concentration than the previous Merlot. It is also smooth and velvety in the mouth, with a good balance between alcohol and acidity. Andeluna produce 20,000 bottles of this wine each year, which of course means very few bottles are usually available in each of Andeluna's export markets.
Finally we move on to the multi-award winning Grand Reserve Pasionado, which is a blend of 35% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Andeluna aged each of the varietels in French oak for a year before they began blending. After this, the blend spent another 6 months in new French oak. This has resulted in a full-bodied wine with complex aromas of rich, ripe fruits; and pairs well with roasted meats and spicy vegetables.
Alberto is rightly proud of his work at the winery, and after winning both a gold medal and trophy for the Pasionado at the 2004 Argentina Wine Awards, who would disagree? Having only just completed this year's gruelling harvest, he raises his glass and takes a moment to both celebrate and thank the audience: "Muchas gracias – salud!"
By Michael Holder
