Terrazas de Los Andes: The search for freshness in Mendoza
“When you’re in Mendoza, you decide who you want to be when you look at where you plant your vineyards,” Herve Birnie-Scott muses. Thirty years ago, this winemaker from the Loire decided what he wanted Terrazas de Los Andes to be, despite being a bold move away from Argentinian wine at that time.
In Argentina in the 1990s, people were drinking table wine; light wines from jars, produced in the flatter lands of Mendoza. Mendoza is a desert: it has four times less rain than Bordeaux. However, Argentina is five times the size of France and it possesses a magnificent, unending landscape: Mendoza might be a desert with 320 days of sunshine a year and very little precipitation, but most deserts don’t have the Andes Mountains.
“The difference between altitude is amazing,” says Herve. “In Mendoza, you could be southern Spain, Loire Valley or Bordeaux, depending on where you planted your vines. But trying to make Bordeaux wines in the temperatures of southern Spain wasn’t going to work.”
Having made wine in France and then Napa Valley, Herve was inspired by the ability to capture freshness as well as a concentration of fruit, like the wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Herve had to find a new path for Argentinian wine, especially if he was going to compete with the rest of the wine world, and his answer in Mendoza was to plant higher. Additionally (and quite radical for the time), Herve came up with the idea that different grape varieties should be planted at different altitudes.
In his search for freshness and lively fruit, Herve started planting in the Uco Valley. Despite having many neighbours now, they were alone a few decades ago. Herve explains that the terroir here immediately shows you the potential, before you even start planting anything. “It’s like already playing in First Division.”
“Soil, water – everything comes from the Andes,” says Herve. “The only source of water comes from the snow melt.”
Terrazas de Los Andes: The wines
We taste the 2018 Chardonnay and I am immediately struck by the balance of weight, acidity and minerality. Herve believes that the best Chardonnay in the world comes from limestone soil, which brings freshness and acidity. Hailing from a cold area of France, Herve’s goal was to produce a Chardonnay that didn’t seem like a New World Chardonnay and, instead of overripe tropical notes, there should be an “al dente freshness”.
By practicing cool climate viticulture and planting the vineyards at a higher elevation, he has crafted a Chardonnay teeming with tension, expressing notes of white flowers, citrus, apple, peach, with a hint of vanilla and a slight toastiness. As it evolves, there is more of a flintiness and a streak of graphite on the finish. It is a fabulous partner to creamy goat’s cheese.
The Reserve Malbec 2018 shows the elegance of the grape variety. Instead of being heavy, tannic and overbearing, this high acidity Malbec is very subtle, with soft tannins and fresh but concentrated fruit. The finish is long with lots of minerality.
Herve explains that there are different expressions of Malbec, like Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux. Because Terrazas de Los Andes had the chance to come first, they have parcels of Malbec all over the region, which allows them the advantage of blending the best from each parcel. Herve describes this Malbec as: “The best family photo you can have in a glass.”
Herve refers to the Grand Malbec 2017 as a wine of “provocation”. This is Terrazas’ flagship wine and is a blend of Malbec from three different high altitude vineyard sites. Deeper in colour and smoky on the nose, the Grand Malbec 2017 is a wine of concentration, elegance and finesse. “Malbec is not exotic; it’s classic,” says Herve.
There are lively black fruits on the palate, alongside earthy spices, which are lifted by fresh minty notes.
“The tipping point between herbaceousness and fruit is the sweet spot,” says Herve. “It’s the tension; you have to feel the vibration.”
At only four years old, this Grand Malbec is still a baby with a huge potential for ageing.
The Future of Terrazas de Los Andes
Terrazas de Los Andes are letting the terroir lead the way and Herve explains that they are still learning from the terroir to understand where it comes from. But this also means that they must play a big part in protecting it: “Mendoza is fragile.”
Herve has seen how global warming has affected Mendoza over the years – including the people who live there.
“Everything we do has to add value to the people who live there,” says Herve, describing their holistic attitude to sustainability, including educational programmes for the community, providing jobs and using drip irrigation. “We save water for 19,000 families per year. Our wines are good and they do good as well.”
Learn more about Terrazas de Los Andes on their website here.