Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Treinta y Dos was the first vintage when there was no new oak whatsoever in the aging of the wine. Limpid, bright ruby-colored and showing a very subtle nose, this elegant and young wine is starting to show signs of complexity. There are nuances (wild herbs, fennel) that I didn't see in other vintages. There is tension and a fine thread of acidity, filigree, poise and great length. It has gobsmacking balance and great length. While it looks light, there is tremendous inner power, in the way of a powerful ballet dancer rather than a bodybuilder. Complete and long, this should age superbly in bottle, but it's hard to resist now. World-Class Pinot Noir from Patagonia. Super!
-
Decanter
Made from a single vineyard of vines planted on their own rootstocks back in 1932. Tiny bunches of small, concentrated berries produce a quite superb expression of Pinot Noir: with nothing added, nothing taken away, just the vineyard. Drinking Window 2017 - 2028
-
James Suckling
Complex aromas of rose blossom, cherry blossom, and more flowers. Bright strawberry and cherry fruit too. Full-bodied, very structured and powerful with layers of ripe fruit, yet balanced and fresh. Firm and formed with muscle. Made from 83-year-old vines that are biodynamically grown. Aged two years in 30% new oak.
-
Wine Spectator
Refined and powerful, with concentrated red berry and roasted plum flavors that are generously spiced. Medium-grained tannins, with lush sandalwood and creamy notes on the rich finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
One of the most southerly regions on the globe for fine wine production, Patagonia has experienced extraordinary vineyard expansion since the early 2000s.
Patagonia vineyards occupy the lower foothills of the Andes at 1,000 to 1,600 feet. Here cold air drops at night from incredibly steep elevations—the Andes reach well over 15,000 feet in this zone—a phenomenon that produces drastic diurnal shifts. Cold nights contrasted with hot summer days produce grapes with striking color, full ripeness, great finesse and aromatic intensity.
Favored for its luxury brands, the Patagonia wine growing region of Argentina focuses on a diverse array of international varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillón and Viognier among the white grapes, and Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon for reds.