Excellent.

The 2019 growing season began with a cool, rainy spring, with temperatures lower than normal. Our vineyard in Los Chacayes experienced 5.65 inches of rain in October and November, which is about
65 percent of the yearly annual rainfall!

During October and the early days of November, there were three episodes of intense Zonda winds, which, in combination with the rain and low temperatures, resulted in selective problems with fruit set, known as coulure or shatter, in the Malbec. This resulted in a natural reduction in Malbec yields.

In December, temperatures began to normalize, and January through April, we experienced plenty of sunshine, warm days and little rain, providing excellent maturity and polyphenol development. It was an amazing turnaround in the growing season. The Malbec in particular responded with increased quality and natural concentration. Our Malbec harvest ended April 23rd.

While just about all varietals are showing well, we expect the long-cycle varietals from this vintage will really stand out, especially the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. As of this update (March, 2020) the Malbec is showing exceptional quality fruit, elegant structure with gentle tannins, and average levels of acidity. The overall structure of this vintage is superb and we’re really looking forward to its development.