5/19/2017 Mendozaharvestreports1996to2017|Articles|JancisRobinson.

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Mendoza
harvestreports
1996to2017
FREEFORALL ARGENTINA VINTAGES

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EdgardoDelPpolo,generalmanagerof
SusanaBalboWines,provedtobea
fountofknowledgeandexperiencewhen
ImethiminMendozainMarch,
especiallywhenitcametotheprocessof
applyingfornewappellations.Hereis
hisconcisesummaryofthelast22
vintagesinMendoza,makinga
connectionattheendbetweenthe
vintageconditionsandtheElNioand
LaNiacycles.DelPpoloalsosent
thispictureoftheirvineyardmaster
SilvioGaldameharvestingMalbecin
theirAgrelovineyardthisyear.For
vintageinformationonmanyother
regionsandcountries,see
ourVintagessectionpartofthewealth
offreeresourcesinLearn.Forother
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offreeresourcesinLearn.Forother
producercommentson2017in
Mendoza,seetherstpartofMendoza
11yearson.
2017warmanddry
AclassicMendozavintage.Stilla
workinprogress.Afteraverycool
springwithsomefrosteventsinthe
UcoValley,wehadThelongest
veraisonIveeverseeninmywhole
career.Ifitusuallytakes2weeks,
thistimetook4weeksfromthe
beginningtocompletethecolour
change.JanuaryandFebruarywere
warmasusual,butMarchandApril
werecold(duringharvesttime)
completingtheripenessinavery
nicemanner,withbeautifulpHs
andacidityinthecoolerregionsand
moderatealcohollevels.
2016coolandwet
Againanotherrainyseason.2016
harvestwasthepoorest(yield)in
thelast60years.Theeastof
Mendozawasmoreaectedthan
theUcoValleyandthecentral
regions.Thebestsitesstillshowed
theclearestrepresentationdespite
therains.Thisvintagecantbe
comparedwithanyotherinthelast
25years,becauseitwasrainyon
onehandbutwithtextbookwines
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5/19/2017 Mendozaharvestreports1996to2017|Articles|JancisRobinson.com

ontheother:lowalcohol,natural
acidity,purearomas,niceageing
potential.AkindofBurgundian
year,consideringtheheat
summation.
2015coolandwet
Regulartoinconsistentharvest.
Onlyexceptionalterroirsshowed
well,mainlythoseintheUcoValley
withgooddrainage.Warmwinter
followedbyacoolsummer.Rainfall
exceededtheannualaverageby30%
insomeplaces.Alotofworkfor
viticulturistsandgrapegrowersto
separatethebestandmediocre
parcels.Deepclayorclayloamas
wellasdeepsandysoilsdidnt
performwell.Theworstyearfor
CabernetSauvignon.
2014coolandwet
Verygoodvintagewithgreatwines.
Chacayesisalsoonthemap!The
2014harvestdidnttakelongerthan
itsprevious2013.Thisharvestwas
ascoldasthatof2001.Afterthe
warmanddrymonthsofDecember
andJanuary,thecoldweather
duringFebruary,MarchandApril,
alongwiththerainfallthatoccurred
duringtheharvestseasonhaveset
deningcharacteristicsforthe
dierentterroirsinMendoza.The
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dierentterroirsinMendoza.The
levelofdetailduringtheharvest
timewasfundamentalinorderto
raisethebar.Forexample:north
westGualtallaryvsouthwest
Gualtallary.Whiletheformer
excelledduetothecalcareous
componentsinitssoilproles,
resultinginwineswithamineral
accent,thelaerwascharacterised
byitsredandblack,ripefruit.
2013coolanddry
Outstanding.UcoValleytopterroirs
championingthequality.Thecold
camequickly(allofFebruaryand
beginningofMarch),andaened
thematuritycurve.Earlyfallwas
alsocold,thusnaturallyhighacidity
andlowpHwithlowsugarlevels
broughtafantasticnaturalbalance
inthewines.Thesandyandrocky
soilsoftheUcoValleyintheend
reactedbeerthanthevalleyoors
formedbyclayloamdeposits.
2012warm
Verygood.Springfrost(23
September)followedbystrong
Zondaduringowering(8
November)reducedtheharvest22%
downv2011and12%downv
historicalaverage.Itwasaclassic
Mendozawarmvintage.Valley
oorvineyardswithloamyorclay
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oorvineyardswithloamyorclay
loamsoilsdidverywell.Roundand
sweettannins.
2011cool
Good.Drywinter.Coolandwet
preharvestseason(JanFeboverthe
averageinmm.)followedbyadry
March.Againweexperienceda
delayinripening(similarto2010).
Springweatherconditionswere
favourableuntiltheearlymorning
of9November(2010),whenalate
frosthitthewholeprovince,causing
severedamageonlyinthelower
areasofLujnandUcoValley.
Anyway,theunaectedareasalso
showedmillerandage(mostlyin
Malbec).
2010coolanddry
Verygood.Itwasacool,dryyear
withhealthygrapes,10to15days
delayinripening,loweralcohol
potentialandhigheracidity,ifits
comparedwiththewarm2009.In
Mendoza10%downinproduction
versusthehistoricaverage.Nice
performancefromsandy,rockysoils
parcels.Coolvintagefreshwines,
GualtaChardonnays.
Myownrankingofthevintages
since2010,frombesttoworst:
201320162017201420122010
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201320162017201420122010
20112015
Thelast22years:
***verygoodtooutstanding
**regulartoOK
*forgetit
11warmvintages:**1996,***1997,
***1999,**2000,***2002,*2003,
**2004,***2006,**2009,***2012,
***2017
11coolvintages:*1998,**2001,
**2005,**2007,***2008,***2010,
**2011,***2013,***2014,**2015,
***2016
Warmdry(LaNia)andcoolwet
(ElNio)cyclesareverywell
represented:
1996[warm],1997[warm],1998
[coolwet],1999[warmdry],2000[
warmwet],2001[coolwet],2002
[warm],2003[hot],2004[warm],
2005[cool],2006[warm],2007[cool
wet],2008[cool],2009[warm],2010
[cooldry],2011[cool],2012[warm],
2013[cooldry],2014[coolwet],
2015[coolwet],2016[coolwet],
2017[warmdry].

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