Argentina Portfolio: A Look at Orfila Wines
with Background on Argentina’s Wine Industry
If you are a Malbec lover, you have probably heard some of the wine history of Argentina. Some call the last two decades the “Malbec Boom” in wine. Actually, Argentina has a very long history in winemaking going back to the 1500’s. The first grape cuttings have been thought to come from Chile and planted in the Mendoza region of Argentina. These early Criolla variety cuttings came from Spain’s Canary Islands. Yet modern wine history began with a French agricultural engineer, Michel Aimé Pouget, who was hired by the Argentinean government to expand the winemaking industry. He introduced French grape varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nori, and Malbec to the region. These grapes adapted well and were more concentrated and better quality than the Criolla varieties. Today I am featuring a portfolio of wines from a winery who entered the United States market last year, Bodegas Orfila.
Modern Argentine Wine Success
The modern history of Argentine wine success began with the realization that the domestic Argentina wine market was diminishing and that international consumers preferred imported wine of high quality. Chile had begun to tailor their wine to suit those preferences, so Argentina had to adapt to survive. By the mid 1990’s, international “flying” winemakers came in from around the globe to consult and improved the vineyards and finished wine products. In the early 2000’s Argentina’s Malbec started to be loved worldwide.
This past week we tasted a portfolio of the wines from Bodegas Orfila, Mendoza, Argentina. The recommendations can be found below for Malbecs, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the red blend of Bodegas Orfila.
Mendoza, Argentina
Today Mendoza (2000 to 3000 feet in altitude) is a major wine capital, and wine tourism is a large part of the business driving the development of new restaurants and hotels. Accounting for more than 70 percent of the country’s wine production, Mendoza is uniquely situated in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains. This far western expanse of Argentina not only has some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world, but it also enjoys a relatively mild climate with few extreme temperatures, thus benefitting the quality of grapes grown.
The only city that drinks more wine in the world than Buenos Aires is Paris according to Decanter Magazine.
About Bodegas Orfila
Premium vineyards in Mendoza are at the heart of Orfila wines, and the winery has over a century of family winemaking history in Argentina, with roots in Italian wine that extend even deeper. With its favorable high altitude growing conditions, Mendoza has achieved international acclaim for its wines, and Orfila controls some of the finest vineyards, including sites in Uco Valley, Lujan de Cuyo, and Maipú.
Spanish immigrant José Orfila founded his eponymous winery in 1905 in Mendoza on lands that were once owned by José de San Martin, Argentina’s founding father. In 2010, the Gancia family, accomplished Italian winemakers who had established themselves in Argentina decades earlier, merged their winemaking traditions with the Orfila family when they acquired the winery. The pioneering spirit of the two families remains today, as Orfila continues to offer elegant and refined wines in a style that celebrates European traditions while showcasing the finest fruit character of Mendoza’s vineyards.
“We try to preserve what the vineyards give us,” explains Orfila winemaker Guillermo Chavero, who credits the ideal and moderate microclimates, soils, and elevation for the distinctive characteristics of Orfila wines.
Recommended Orfila wines
Malbec Estate Selection ($15) – 100 % Malbec grapes from Orfila’s top estate vineyards in Ugarteche, Lujan de Cuyo, and Barrancas, Maipú. It is aged in French and American oak barrels and then bottle aged for three months.
Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Selection ($15) – An enticing blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Lujan de Cuyo, Maipú, and La Consulta (Uco Valley – San Carlos), this wine is aged in French and American oak barrels before bottle aging for an additional three months.
Malbec Reserva ($20) – Orfila’s signature Malbec, this wine comes from the winery’s best vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo, as well as Altamira and El Cepillo in Uco Valley. It is aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels, before a careful barrel selection of the best lots for the final blend.
Red Blend Reserva ($20)-- Our wine-tasting favorite! – A premier blend of 50% Malbec and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine comes from the winery’s best vineyards: La Consulta (Uco Valley – San Carlos) and Barrancas (Maipú) for Malbec, and Vistaflores (Uco Valley) and La Consulta for Cabernet Sauvignon. It is aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels, before a careful barrel selection of the best lots for the final blend.
Thank you to Olive Swearingen and Evan Roberts for hosting our wine tasting and grilling up some great burgers.
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