Bemberg Estate Wines – A Story of Altitude and Latitude.
Recently, we were invited by Poot Agenturen to join them at a private dinner with Daniel Pi at the Italian Restaurant Porta Sud in Breda. Besides being the winemaker at Bemberg Estate Wines, Daniel Pi is one of the most knowledgeable experts on the Argentine wine industry – and a passionate advocate for it. During a wonderful four-course meal we were able to take a deep dive into the history and philosophy of Bemberg, how Argentinian wine and its cultural place have evolved over the past few decades, and explore the diversity in both altitude and latitude of Argentinian wines.
Bemberg Estate Wines
The origin of Bemberg Estate Wines is quite unique. It all started with the Argentinian entrepreneurial Bemberg family who in 2010 bought the Peñaflor Group, the largest wine group in Argentina (known for Trapiche, El Esteco, Finca las Moras, and many more). As the years went by the family desired to have a private label just for themselves and their close friends, with strong emphasis on quality and ageability. For this project they decided to call upon Daniel Pi, who had been with Peñaflor since 1992 and had been the group’s lead winemaker since 2010. Together with Mendoza architect Mario Yanzón, Daniel designed the winery from scratch – integrating the latest technology in wine with a more old-school, classical way of architecture, employing local materials and a strong focus on sustainability.
Building on Daniel’s knowledge, the very best parcels of Peñaflor’s holdings of over 3500 hectares were selected for the range of Bemberg’s wines, resulting in less than 1% making the cut. The parcels selected closely mirror the diversity of the holdings of the Peñaflor group, with parcels in Salta, San Juan, and Mendoza being used, differing over 1200 kilometers in distance and 1000 metres in altitude – each beautifully representing the typicity of their respective regions.
It is precisely this mix of altitude and latitude, combined with differences in soil, that forms the main diversity of the Argentinian wine industry. Whereas many vineyards in the world are influenced by oceans and lakes (resulting in maritime or Mediterranean climates), virtually all vineyards in Argentina are situated between the Andes and extensive masses of land. This results in vast continental climates, with the altitude and latitude of the vineyards being their main differentiators and proximity to large bodies of water being less relevant.
Terroir through Altitude
The altitude of vineyards is especially seen as an important factor and makes viticulture possible in what would otherwise be too hot of an area to farm quality grapes. With every 100 metres of altitude, the temperature drops roughly 0.6 °C. Because many European vineyards have altitudes of roughly 100 to 400 metres, this effect is relatively limited for European wine regions, but many prime Argentinian vineyards are situated at 1.000 metres and above (reaching up to 3.000 metres in Salta) – resulting in a significant cooling effect. This relatively high altitude also results in stronger sunlight and UV radiation as sunlight travels through less atmosphere, resulting in grapes with higher levels of anthocyanins (giving more colour, aromas and flavours) and tannins.
Furthermore, higher altitudes have lower percentages of humidity as humidity is influenced by gravity. This results in a thinner air that loses its warmth more quickly (as water warms up and cools down slower than regular air) than vineyards situated at lower altitudes, promoting cooler nights and thus higher diurnal ranges (difference between day and night temperatures). This allows the grapes to steadily ripen during the hot days but slow down their ripening at night, resulting in grapes with good ripeness and anthocyanin development, but also fresh acidity and elegant, floral notes. Especially with global warming, growers more and more seek higher altitude parcels – greatly benefiting quality.
Terroir through Latitude
The second main variable in the Argentinian wine industry is the latitude of the vineyards. As vineyards are situated at lower latitudes (and thus closer to the equator), they experience more direct, powerful sunlight and thus warmth. When situated too close to the equator, it can get too warm for vines, resulting in them often experiencing water stress and shutting down their ripening. On the other hand, when situated too far from the equator, it is often simply too cold for vines to ripen properly. This results in most vineyards being found between 30° and 50° latitude on each side of the equator.
Where vineyards are pushing these boundaries, mitigating factors often need to be in place. An example of this is the Ahr valley in Germany, which at 50° latitude should be almost too cool for viticulture. However, the local slate soils that retain a lot of heat and very steep slopes carved out by the Ahr river make it so even Spätburgunder often gets perfectly ripe in this unique region.
Contrasting this is the wine region of Cafayate in the Argentinian province of Salta. At 26° latitude in theory this region should be way too hot for quality viticulture, but due to the extreme altitude (1.500 to 3.000 metres) significant cooling effects are present, making so even quite elegant wines can be created. Bemberg’s La Linterna Cabernet Sauvignon Finca Las Mercedes from Cafayate is the perfect example of this, showing a remarkable balance between powerful, ripe fruit and herbal, floral elegance as evidenced in our tasting note below.
Terroir through Soils
The third main variable is the soils on which the vineyards are planted. As most vineyards in Argentina are near to the Andes the soils primarily consist of Andesite, which over time fragmented into sedimentary rocks, sands, and clays. In the Uco Valley, home of sub-regions such as Gualtallary and Los Arbolas and where most of Bemberg’s wines are sourced from, additionally a relatively high amount of limestone is present. This limestone, locally referred to as ‘caliche’, often occurs at 30 to 100 cm deep and in hardened layers due to the dry conditions in Argentina. This limestone component is said to be highly beneficial for the quality of the wines, providing a soil that both balances water retention and drainage, and promoting slower fermentations through an absence of nitrogen. Commonly, the vineyards are planted in places with a topsoil of sand, with clay, gravel, and larger stones just below. Stonier, shallow soils tend to be found nearer the Andes, with deeper, more clayey soils found into the floodplains and at the bottom of valleys.
At Bemberg, places with deeper, richer topsoil’s are given lower vine densities, with the shallower. poorer soils given higher vine densities. The reasoning behind this is that shallower soils are poorer soils that give the roots less room to explore, and thus give the vines natural lower yields (according to Daniel, stressed vines). The deeper soils on the other hand give the vines more nutrients and place to grow their roots, resulting in larger vigor, bigger canopies and higher yields (according to Daniel, happier vines). This results in roughly the same yield per hectare for both types of vineyards, but with different expressions. Although causal relationships are hard to prove, Daniel notes that the stressed vines tend to result in more grippy, structured tannins, with the happier vines tending to result in smoother tannins and mouthfeel. The essence here seems to the art of balancing both elements to yield a well-balanced wine.
In order to play into this notion, Daniel and Marcelo Belmonte (chief winegrower of Bemberg) dug soil pits on a grid of 10 meters in their prime vineyard in Gualtallary, being El Tomillo. This vineyard, named after the thyme naturally found among the rows, surrounds the main winery and is the source for several of Bemberg’s top wines – amongst which bottlings of La Linterna Chardonnay and Malbec, and the flagship bottling El Pionero. Considering the presence of the caliche, the high altitude of roughly 1.200 metres, and the level of detail the vineyard was mapped with all explain why this vineyard specifically yields some of Argentina’s best wine – especially in the hands of Daniel and Marcelo.
Mountain Wines
To conclude on the terroir of Argentina, primarily the altitude and latitude seem key factors when it comes down to Argentina’s terroir (considering the massive diversity one can find in these two variables), with soil depth and composition varying more within subregions. It is precisely this mix of altitude and latitude, according to Daniel, that gives Argentine wines such a unique signature – something Daniel calls ‘mountain wines’. We fully agree with this notion, and found that especially the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings, varieties planted throughout the world, to have quite a unique style – not easily comparable to other bottlings from around the world. The range of wines produced by Bemberg is very diverse when it comes down to the characteristics of the vineyard, but the signature ‘mountain wine’ style of powerful, ripe but fresh and transparent fruit carried through all the wines, along with ripe, smooth tannins, fresh acidities, and floral elegance. And most importantly, all are of extremely high quality – standing shoulder to shoulder with the top wines of big names such as Catena Zapata and Zuccardi.
However, Argentinian wine did not always have such high-quality standards. Daniel notes that in the 70s the wine consumption in Argentina was around 92 liters per capita, back when a bottle of wine was present at every lunch and dinner, and mainly high-yielding criolla pink grape varieties were used. While still popular for the domestic market today, in recent years the focus has shifted from quantity to quality, with consumers regarding wine more as a luxurious, hedonistic experience rather than a daily commodity. This in turn has contributed to the wine consumption in Argentina being below 20 liters per capita as of recent years, with a preference for quality above quantity. This trend seems to perfectly play into the wines of Bemberg, with each wine being a luxury experience on its own, and each wine telling the story of the parcel that was so carefully selected by Daniel to encompass the origin and terroir of the wine. (However, Daniel notes that besides having top-tier wines, it is also important to have a wide range of well-made, affordable wines available, something Argentina excels in.)
The Wines of Bemberg
The selection of wines Bemberg produces is as diverse as any, with the selection tasted ranging from Salta from Mendoza – over 1.200 kilometers apart in distance and 1.000 metres apart in altitude. The wines are generally made in comparable fashions, with percentages of whole bunch often varying between 10 to 20% and with the oak used often being 100% new. Plot-by-plot vinification, low intervention, and no filtering further add to the quality and transparency of terroir of the wines. This makes comparing the wines through their origin and terroir a fun exercise, with especially the higher-altitude wines showing a beautiful balance between fully ripe fruit, strong but polished tannins, and floral elegance (mountain wines!). The wines are adequately named ‘La Linterna’ (Spanish for lantern), referring to the effort that went into exploring Argentina’s wine regions and Peñaflor’s holdings for the very best parcels.
Also notable is that all the wines are aged for significant amounts of time, with the Chardonnay bottling being aged in bottle at least four years before release, and the red wines five to six years. The reason for this rather expensive (due to delayed cash flows and storage costs) choice is that the Bemberg family commonly found Argentinian wines to be released quite young, and wanted to show how much potential these wines have to age. We can only conclude that, as evidenced by our tasting notes below, no shortcuts are taken at Bemberg when it comes to guaranteeing the highest possible quality.
2019 Bemberg La Linterna Chardonnay Gualtallary Finca El Tomillo Plot #1
100% Chardonnay from the El Tomillo vineyard in Gualtallary, situated around the winery at 1.210 metres of altitude. The vines, planted in 1998, were some of the first Chardonnay vines to be planted in Gualtallary. The soils here are especially shallow with the soil in some places only going down 20 centimeters before hitting bedrock, resulting in low yields and a very concentrated style.
For this bottling Daniel employs three separate picking rounds in the vineyard, harmoniously pairing the ripeness levels with the chosen maturation for that batch. The first round, with the freshest grapes, is aged in large concrete tanks without seeing malolactic to add a very pure and fresh component to the wine. The second round of grapes is matured in large, old oak foudres as a mid-way style, and the third round with the ripest grapes is aged in small, new French oak to yield a ripe and rich component for the blend. After roughly ageing for 10 months separately on the lees with frequent bâtonnage, the components are blended and further aged for four years in order to fully integrate into the blend.
The wine has a typical ‘mountain wine’ feel, combining both textural richness with refreshingly high acidity, with the fruit both showing ripeness and a crystalline freshness. Intense notes of ripe lemon, grapefruit, fresh yellow pear, hazelnut, peach, jasmine, wet stone, dill, bread dough, butter, and clove are present. While the wine is almost five years old, it is still in its primary, fresh phase – a hallmark of the ageability of these wines. Great length, structure, and purity. Beautiful, and a benchmark Argentine Chardonnay.
We reward this wine with a 94-point DWA score. Drink 2024-34.
2017 Bemberg La Linterna Pinot Noir Los Arboles Finca Las Piedras Plot #12
This specific plot, called Las Piedras (stones) is situated relatively close to the Andes, resulting in higher amount of rainfall and an abundance of large sedimentary stones being present in the vineyard. A nearby stream has resulted in an underground waterbed roughly 4 metres deep, causing the roots of the vines to naturally seek out this water resulting in deep root systems (said to promote quality). This layer of water combined with the higher rainfall in this vineyard makes this one of the few parcels not requiring any irrigation and thus being dry-farmed.
Made from the 777-clone of Pinot Noir, resulting in a more powerful, structured expression of the variety. Cold soaking is used to promote colour and flavour without too much tannin extraction. Beautiful bright ruby colour, with intense notes of fresh strawberry, red cherry, cranberry, ripe raspberry, liquorice, earth, clove, vanilla, and rose petal. Chalky, fine-grained tannins and high acidity give great longevity to the wine. Very complex, balancing fresh, ripe red fruit and present but very well-integrated oak notes. Beautiful bouquet of aromas, with a distinct mountain wine feel to it.
We reward this wine with a 95-point DWA score. Drink 2024-37.
2016 Bemberg La Linterna Malbec La Consulta Finca El Milagro Plot #15
This parcel is situated in La Consulta, a sub-region in the Uco Valley notorious for its dry conditions and its alluvial, sandy limestone soils. This part of Uco Valley is so dry that in the purchase agreement of the land, Daniel added a condition that if they could not have access to water, the purchase would be undone. For thus cause Daniel hired both a geologist and a local hobbyist who used a dowsing rod to survey the land for sources of water. In the end they both marked several, mostly different spots that had the potential for an underground source, with one spot overlapping between the geologist and hobbyist. Daniel chose to excavate this specific spot and at last they found a water spring – which Daniel calls ‘El Milagre’, Spanish for the miracle, and thus giving this wine its name.
The wine has a very classic Malbec profile, with intense notes of ripe blackberry, fresh black cherry, plum, blueberry, earth, vanilla, clove, liquorice, and violet. Very smooth and generous with the high acidity and floral notes giving a lovely freshness. Structured and complex, with integrated oak notes and great intensity. Still feels quite young, despite approaching 7 years in bottle.
We reward this wine with a 94-point DWA score. Drink 2024-2041.
2016 Bemberg La Linterna Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Cafayate Finca Las Mercedes Plot #19
Cabernet Sauvignon from Cafayate, using vines dating back to 1958 and planted at 1.650 metres of altitude. This altitude gives a huge diurnal range, unlike anything seen in Europe, and a much-needed cooling influence at this relatively low latitude of 26°. The vines are here, uniquely so for Cabernet Sauvignon, planted via a pergola system. In this vine training system, the grape bunches are trained to hang below the vine leaves which form a green ceiling, blocking sunshine from reaching the bunches. In places with high disease pressure or strong sunshine that can damage the grapes, this trellising system is favored for that reason. However, critics often argue that Cabernet Sauvignon specifically needs the sunshine to ‘’burn off’’ the green notes typically found in this variety and other Bordeaux grapes varieties.
Daniel counters this notion by training the spurs of the vines upwards, which together with Cabernet Sauvignon’s natural tendency to grow upwards, makes it so the bunches actually reach above the canopy – allowing them to be exposed to sunshine and preventing too many green notes in the wine. This is also evidenced by our tasting note, with the wine having a subtle roasted paprika note, but not anything unripe or green. The wine also has generous black cherry, cassis, bramble, earth, vanilla and tobacco notes, all with a really unique freshness and floral, violet lift. The altitude of the vines truly makes this bottling of Cabernet unique in its class and not comparable to any other bottling of this variety we have tasted thus far. Amazing depth, richness, and complexity, all with elegance and freshness. Absolutely gorgeous and unique, our favourite of the line-up. Lovely. Structured, complex, elegant and built to age.
We reward this wine with a 95-point DWA score. Drink 2024-2051.
2016 Bemberg Pionero Finca El Tomillo
The flagship wine of Bemberg, sourced from the famous El Tomillo vineyard. ‘Tomillo’ is Spanish for thyme, an herb commonly found in both the vineyard and the aromatics of the wines sourced from there. The wine is primarily Malbec, combined with a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc as a homage to Bordeaux all while remaining true to the typicity of Argentina. Daniel explains in this regard that in the mid-19th century, Argentinians used to drink a lot of Bordeaux (which at that time had significant plantings of Malbec) and were its second-most important export market. The name ‘Pionero’ means pioneer, referring to Otto Bemberg, the first of the Bemberg family to move to Argentina.
The wine has astounding balance and complexity, with the Malbec giving complexity, smoothness, and rich black fruit, the Cabernet Sauvignon tannic structure, and the Cabernet Franc freshness, acidity, and a subtle, playful green note. This wine has it all, with generous black fruit, a velvety texture, depth, a solid tannic structure, floral elegance and lift, high acidity, and a finish lasting minutes. During the dinner, our tasting note was simply ‘amazing, complete’, with not much more needing to be said. All in all, a benchmark wine, with all the elements in it that make Argentina a world-class wine-producing country. Exceptional.
We reward this wine with a 97-point DWA score. Drink 2024-2066.
A Captivating Tasting with Bemberg Wines
All in all, we look back on a fascinating evening tasting and talking through the wines of Bemberg, Argentine wine in general, and the diversity in altitude and latitude the Argentine wine industry offers to the world. Besides having a wealth of knowledge, Daniel also perfectly knows how to convey it with contagious passion – from what made the wines feel ‘Argentinian’ to the exact chemical properties of calcium carbonate and depth of the soils surrounding the winery. We are eager to further explore the potential Argentine wine has to offer, from the high-altitude vineyards of Salta to the cooler, coastal terroirs of Patagonia, spanning elevations from 300 to over 1.950 metres. To be continued!
This article is written by our own Martin Bronkhorst. The wines of Bemberg Estate Wines are exported to a number of foreign markets and well distributed. In the Netherlands their wines can be bought through Poot Agenturen.
We would like to thank Poot Agenturen, Daniel Pi of Bemberg Estate Wines and Restaurant Porta Sud for the excellent diner.
