Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/566135
september 2015 / the tasting panel / 71 L ike many countries, Argentina has a centuries- long history of wine production, but did not begin to focus on high quality until the 1970s. Then, the combination of political reform, global competition and scientific advances made improvement both possible and necessary. Argentina had traditionally been a huge producer, but the wines were suitable only for the consid- erable domestic consumption. Quality-focused changes included more attention to vineyard management, lowering yields, new plantings and a moving from furrow or flood to drip irrigation. This work began paying off in the 1990s and enabled Argentina's rise to seventh in global exports. The United States and Canada account for 40% of that. Now, Bodegas Nieto Senetiner is leading a second generation of change. Winemaker Santiago Mayorga is guiding the effort in consultation with Chief Winemaker Roberto González and consultant Paul Hobbs. Their goal is to improve quality even further while maintaining authentic- ity and creating more distinctive wines. The two main foci in this work are varietal typicity and terroir. The young, handsome and forthright Mayorga joined Nieto Senetiner in 2013, their answer to a search for some- one to elevate quality and pursue every detail. A native of Mendoza, he's a second-generation viticulturist with a degree in agricultural science. After a stint in South Africa, he returned to work for ten years at a very highly regarded producer of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, Viñedos y Bodega Mendel in Luján de Cuyo. He was involved with everything there, including the vineyard, barrel selection and quality analysis. That positioned him perfectly for his new role. Handsome packaging distinguishes the Nieto Senetiner line-up. The Nieto Senetiner winery is in the Luján de Cuyo district of Mendoza.