Tasting Notes:
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Hervé Fabre brought fresh eyes and a respect for the value of old vines and high-quality farming to a new home, when in the late 1980s, he moved from Bordeaux to Mendoza, Argentina. Alta Yari is his latest project, centered on vineyards in Gualtallary, rising nearly 5000 feet above sea level that were planted in the 1980s. The extreme altitude and the specific mix of soils led Hervé to believe this to be the best potential for a “grand cru” in Argentina.
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Argentina is currently the fifth-largest producer of wine in the world. The first European grapes were brought to Argentina in 1541 by Spanish colonists. Patagonia (viticulturally speaking) covers a wide area in the south. Within the region, smaller areas show distinct character, particularly the chalk-laden vineyards of Alto Valle in the Rio Negro district.The extreme altitude of Gualtallary and the mix of clay, limestone, and gravel soils proved irresistible to adventurous grape growers during the 1980s. Some of the vineyards are over a mile above sea level, and the diurnal temperature swings give the grapes extended “hang time” without attendant over ripeness.
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This French variety has many local names depending on where the vine is grown. These names include (most commonly) "Côt," "Auxerrois," and "Pressac." The primary variety of the ancient Cahors in southwest France, and important as well in many of the red wines of the Loire Valley, it can be found in small amounts nearly everywhere wine is grown in France. Also the most important variety in Argentina, where a unique "clone," producing smaller berries and tighter clusters of grapes was introduced in 1868. The wines tend towards plummy aromatics and dense tannins.
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