We end this year’s harvest with high expectations for the wines to come.
The 2022 Harvest at El Porvenir De Cafayate in Argentina is over. Grapes have been picked and are on their way to become the 2022 vintages for their wines.
Here is a summary of the season direct from the winery.
The start of spring was delayed by intense colds in July and August, but despite this we had a very good harvest in general. Budding was delayed by 10 days compared to previous years, then spring was cool and dry at the beginning and lasted until mid-November. Towards the end of November, December and January, the weather turned towards a milder and more humid summer, slowing down the ripening processes in some varieties such as Torrontés.
In mid-February, the wet weather changed to hot, dry weather, which produced an almost sudden maturity of most of the red varieties. Even so, by picking the grapes at the right time, a balanced maturity was reached between sugars, polyphenols and tannins, Daniel Guillén, Viticulturist of the Winery tells us.
White varieties such as Chardonnay, Marsanne and Roussanne finished the fermentations with excellent quality, fruity balance and great freshness. The Rosé stood out for a very good presence of fresh fruit and balanced acidity.
The red grapes in general were of great quality, the Malbecs from Alto Río Seco, Río Seco and Alto Los Cuises were harvested with profiles of ripe fruit while preserving freshness and with an excellent tannic structure.
The Cabernet Franc from Río Seco shows this year notes of herbs and a balanced mouthfeel.
As a novelty, we harvested for the first time from the vineyards planted in 2019, Finca Piedramonte, the Cabernet Franc that had great power and elegance and a different profile due to the rocky soil, where it is planted. We also added a Garnacha from this vineyard that we made with partial Carbonic Maceration to preserve the freshness and captivating red color. Syrah, Tannat and Petit Verdot from Finca Río Seco, very well balanced between tannins and acidity.
The Cabernet Sauvignons in general, Paco Puga, the winery’s winemaker, tells us, showed an exquisite balance between fruit and acidity. The past week we finished harvesting the Torrontés, which matured very slowly, and the Tannat from our Parrales at Finca El Retiro, which are very balanced.
