Cowboys, Desert and Wine? It’s Mendoza time!

Day One (February 8, 2009) & Day Two (February 9, 2009)

If there was such a thing as a time machine in winemaking, so many of us Napa lovers would travel back about 30 years and visit Napa Valley before the enormous tour groups took hold and wine tourism became big business for that region.

Short of a time machine, what one can do – Read more

Susana Balbo: Red Wine That’s Green

Perhaps circling the globe to consult with other winemakers causes one to return home with an appreciation for not only good wine, but also preserving the resources that help create it.

That seems to be the case for Susana Balbo, who is respected worldwide for her skill and experience in winemaking. After 20 years of advising others and helping them to produce great wines in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa and Spain, she found her way back to Argentina and started Dominio del Plata, a vineyard known for its sustainable agriculture as much as its fabulous wines. Reportedly, she still spends a month each year in a different wine region of the world, everlearning from other winemakers and growers.

According to the winery’s Web site, “the entire project is specially designed and implemented in a way that doesn’t harm the natural resources, preserves the environment, functions according to social requirements, and at the same time maintains productivity to remain economically competitive.” And, though, many of the grapes for the wines come from other vineyards, those growers too, must agree to Balbo’s rigorous standards.

Hinsdale Cellars’ own Sean Chaudhry spent a day touring her vineyards and winery recently during his ongoing Argentina wine expedition that you will soon read about in Vintelligence.

A winery known for passion and precision

A family enterprise, Balbo and her husband Pedro Marchevsky had a shared vision of paying close attention to the small things that make the difference between good wine and great wine. Many describe her wines as a bridge in style between California and Bordeaux with fruit “opulence” that doesn’t overpower.

Wine critics reiterate the evident passion Balbo and her family have put into producing quality wine: the careful selection of Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, an area noted for its warm summer days and cool nights; the well-draining, sandy soil that, despite strong hail storms, make this a nearly perfect home for grapevines’ the high-trellising system for stability that is credited for sustaining the grapes during a long growing season so they can have great color and aroma; and the constant maintenance Balbo and company give their vines. It all adds up to making truly noteworthy wines.

In addition to Balbo’s super premium or signature labels of Susana Balbo, Ben Marco, and Nosotros, she has become popularly known for her more moderately priced “Crios” line. Crios means offspring in Spanish, and she has said that she chose this name because these wines weren’t quite as grown up as her others – more brashly fruit forward and to be enjoyed younger than her signature wines.

A winning combination

Perhaps, one of her most interesting wines in the Crios collection blends Syrah and Bonarda grapes. Critics and wine connoisseurs alike proclaim it drinks like a significantly more expensive wine than she has priced it, so take note. The Bonarda grape, which originated in Italy, is rarely found there these days, but it’s quite common in Argentina, and the blend with Syrah has produced a dark reddish/purple wine with an intense aroma of black raspberries.

According to Robert Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, the 2006 Crios de Susana Balbo Syrah-Bonarda “delivers an alluring nose of baking spice, blueberry plum, and black raspberry. On the palate, it is medium bodied with loads of spicy dark fruit a forward personality, good balance, and a pure finish….” His rating of 90 points for this wine follows Wine Spectator’s 89 points and the quippy comment: “Very tasty. Drink now.” Clearly advice to heed…and soon!

– Ivy F. Kupec

Pisoni Pinot: Overcoming odds, criticism and convention

Pisoni has found a formula for taking 45 arid, gravelly, granite-y Monterey hillside acres of mostly pinot grapes minus an apparent water source plus (if you believe rumors) smuggled-in root stalk from Domaine de la Romanée Conti plus the nagging concern that his blocks of vulnerable, own-rooted vines will succumb to the phylloxera that has downed so many great vines before, and the sum is far more than just good bottles of wine.

No, one could argue that while many California winemakers make exceptional wine, few have not only started with so many obstacles but seemingly enjoyed flying in the face of conventional solutions. And, succeeded so impressively.

The story begins

Pisoni’s determination at producing a top-notch Pinot is truly noble, but maybe that comes with the territory of a clear Pinot fanatic.

Consider how the vineyard is a portion of 300 acres on hilly, rough land in the Santa Lucia Highlands better suited for horse farming than agriculture. With the initial five-acre planting in 1982, Pisoni had to irrigate with a water truck he drove there. It took six drilling attempts over 10 years before he finally struck water, surprising neighboring vintners. But, that wasn’t the only trailblazing for Pisoni.

In a 2005 interview in Wines and Vines, Pisoni admits his fascination with earlier growing methods for Pinot Noir. “I used to read books about Pinot Noir and studied Burgundy, and all the old timers would say, ‘Sonny, you should have tried the vines before the phylloxera came in. Old World flavors!”

It’s what prompted him to forego phylloxera-resistant grafting and try own-rooted vines. Factoring in his land’s 1,300 foot elevation, its virgin soil and his ability to minimize exposure by using only his own tilling equipment, Pisoni has succeeded in producing extraordinary grapes, and many credit this decision. Pisoni believes it adds another dimension to his wine.

But for Pisoni the quest for Pinot perfection is never-ending. He has experimented with different types of rootstocks and nontraditional trellising approaches. These days, his vineyard is divided into nine smaller, named “blocks” that can be as small as a half acre. Interestingly, he treats every block as its own farm with a distinct soil type, sun exposure and microclimate. Many of the top Pinot producers buy their grapes from Pisoni “by the acre” such that they make the farming decisions for their specific grapes. Consequently, picking time can vary by two weeks between sections within Pisoni’s vineyard.

The Elias block and its precious low yield each year is used predominately to make his Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir.

Yes, but how does it taste?

It’s probably not surprising that this kind of dedication produces wines that Robert Parker Jr. and Wine Spectator rave about. The 2006 Pisoni is no exception. Parker rated the deep ruby/purple-hued wine a 95+. Tasting notes praise its “sensational perfume of spring flowers, forest floor, black raspberries, even blacker berries, and hints of smoke as well as earth. A sensational texture, full-bodied mouthfeel, and no sense of heaviness suggest this well-structured, moderately tannic wine will last for at least a decade.”

Some say Pisoni is just lucky. Maybe he has fabulous intuition or some existential connection to the grapes on land that Indians say was magical and evoked spiritual power. Whatever the reason, it adds up to a winegrower and wine that are consistently winners.

- Ivy F. Kupec