Winemaker Notes
Sourced from vineyards at 3,000 feet above sea level in the Tupungato region of Mendoza. The warm sunny days and cool mountain nights, allow for gradual ripening of the fruit. This factor combined with the typically mild harvest season promotes prolonged cluster hang-time. The result is the Viognier grapes achieve a full, well balanced maturity.
Alamos is rooted in the history of the founding wine family of Argentina, the Catenas. With more than 100 years of passion and research behind the wines, Alamos puts the very best of Argentina into every bottle.
In the shadow of the Andes Mountains, Argentina’s renowned Mendoza wine regions and high-altitude vineyards develop bold, unique flavors in extreme conditions found nowhere else on earth: incredibly clean air, intense sunlight, frosty cold nights and mineral-rich Andes snowmelt that irrigates the vines. From these highly distinct vineyards, Alamos offers authentically flavorful Argentine wines.
Alamos Head Winemaker Lucía Vaieretti grew up in Mendoza’s high desert vineyards. Her family has tended vines there for more than 40 years, and she has developed a deep bond with this distinct place. When Lucía was young, she worked the vineyards with her family. “Even then,” Lucía says, “I knew we were in a special place.”
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.