Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/7240
42 / the tasting panel / march 2010 The Eco Valley book reads like a guide to the wine-producing regions of Argentina. Mendoza, with its signature Malbec, lies at the center of the story, but as Andrew Miller notes, "We've gone beyond just Mendoza. There's a lot more in Argentina to discover." Here's a look at the regions and the producers that represent them in the Eco Valley catalog of discovery. La Rioja Not to be confused with the simi- lar-sounding appellation in Spain, Argentina's La Rioja province lies 350 miles northwest of Mendoza, the country's wine capital. "Bonarda is really starting to become a star for this region," notes Miller. It's in La Rioja's Famatina Valley that Eco Valley's original Argentinean joint venture partner, Valle de la Puerta winery, is located. The vast estate has 375 acres planted to vineyards as well as extensive acreage devoted to olive groves, from which excellent oil is produced and imported to the States by Eco Valley. The semi-arid climate and large temperature differential be- tween days and nights makes this an ideal place to grow vinifera grapes. The Valle de la Puerta range encom- passes varietals ranging from Torron- tés (with "less acidity and better body" than Torrontés from other regions, according to Miller) and Chardonnay among whites, to Shiraz, Cabernet, Malbec and Bonarda. At the top of the line is the complex and multi-layered Valle de la Puerta Gran Reserva, a blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah made only in the best vintages. San Juan "If you talk to people in Argentina and ask them where the best Syrah is from, they'll say San Juan," reports Andrew Miller, who was keen to have this winegrowing region represented in the Eco Valley portfolio. Intense sun (at nearly 3,000 feet above sea level) and stony, well-drained soils in San Juan's Valle de Zonda appellation create a special microclimate at Finca Santa Sylvia, home of the Xumek label. The designation "Sol Huarpe" on the Xumek label is a tribute to the Huarpe tribe, natives of this region. First planted to reds in 1998-99, with whites added in 2004, Finca Santa Sylvia's wines enjoy the benefit of the Zonda Valley's ideal ecological terroir, as well as the winemaking expertise of internationally known consultant Paul Hobbs. The Xumek 2008 Syrah is an exemplary version of this vari- etal as grown in the Valle de Zonda; chewy and meaty with rhubarb and pomegranate, it finishes with mint and white pepper. Mendoza "A lot of people don't realize that Mendoza in itself is a very big region, with four different sub-regions," explains Miller. "You can't compare it with Napa." Although the province has become synonymous with Argen- tinean wine, aficionados look for sev- eral distinct terroirs and styles within the large appellation. In the zone just south of the city of Mendoza itself are several small communes that date back to the birth of Argentina's wine industry. In Luján de Cuyo, for example, some vines at Bodegas Barberis are more than 100 years old; the family-supervised vine- yards produce highly extracted, fruit- forward wines. The family-owned Pulmary, with vineyards in several of Mendoza's growing areas, is dedicat- ed to organic winegrowing, making argentina north to south The Eco Valley portfolio draws on nearly every wine-producing region in Argentina. MAP COURTESY OF WINES OF ARGENTINA PHOTO COURTESY OF FINCA SANTA SYLVIA Syrah is becoming San Juan's signa- ture varietal. PHOTO COURTESY OF DOMAINE JEAN Post-harvest vines paint a colorful pic- ture in Mendoza.