2007 Argentina (Mendoza) Vintage

In the North oasis, winter and spring were normal and favorable for vine growth and fruit set, and the East oasis had a mild winter and a temperate spring without late frosts. In the upper Mendoza River zone, a mild winter on the plain and abundant snow in the high mountains secured irrigation, budbreak came 7 to 10 days early, and a cool spring without late frosts gave good flowering and fruit set; in the Uco Valley a temperate spring brought fruit set above normal. Summer was very hot with dangerous humidity in the North oasis; in the East, heat in December and January advanced ripening of early varieties, and vineyards with green cover withstood the heat spike better; the upper Mendoza River zone had a warm summer with intermittent rain and high humidity; the Uco Valley turned hot toward December, then had a warm, dry January, intense but brief February rains and a humid March; and the South oasis had a rainy, humid summer with hailstorms. By 21 February 2007, higher-than-normal humidity fueled by El Nino, mixed with cool nights, had created storms that moved through almost regularly from December, hitting spots in Agrelo, Vista Flores, La Consulta and Medrano; a storm on 9 February hit Lujan de Cuyo. Hailstorms had a high impact in the upper Mendoza River zone. In February, ripening was running about two weeks earlier than normal. In the upper Mendoza River zone, early varieties ripened early, mid-season varieties had health problems in early April, and late varieties were harvested at the end of April. Nationally, the 2007 grape harvest was 30,925,094 quintales, up 7.34 percent on 2006.

• Spring: no late frosts in the East oasis or the upper Mendoza River zone; budbreak 7 to 10 days early in the upper zone
• Summer: very hot in the North oasis; warm with intermittent rain in the upper Mendoza River zone; rainy with hail in the South oasis
• Hail: storms since December in Agrelo, Vista Flores, La Consulta and Medrano; a 9 February storm on Lujan de Cuyo

Verdicts differ by oasis. For the East oasis the INV wrote (translated): "Early maturity, long and complex harvest, optimal quality." Long-cycle varieties performed excellently there, and it was not a good vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon. In the upper Mendoza River zone, hail made Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon susceptible to oidium, and the INV singled out great Malbec from Cruz de Piedra, Lunlunta, Vistalba, Las Compuertas and Drummond. In the Uco Valley, rain diluted grape concentration a little in some zones, and Malbec quality was optimal. In the South oasis, improved anti-hail netting and very good vineyard management meant only some vineyards were affected, in low percentages, though Malbec and mid-cycle varieties were somewhat affected. In Agrelo, Bodegas Caro winemaker Estela Perinetti estimated that the district as a whole lost 15 percent of its grapes to the 9 February storm, and Santiago Achaval of Achaval-Ferrer said Finca Altamira had "at least 20 percent damage" on 5 December.

• East oasis: early maturity and a long harvest; not a good vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon
• Upper Mendoza River zone: high hail impact; great Malbec from Cruz de Piedra, Lunlunta, Vistalba, Las Compuertas and Drummond
• Uco Valley: early veraison after a hot December; optimal quality for Malbec
• Agrelo: an estimated 15 percent of grapes lost after the 9 February storm

In February 2007, Wine Spectator called the year a difficult one after a string of high quality vintages since 2002, and Jose Ortega of O. Fournier said: "Not the worst year, but particularly difficult for high quality areas." North oasis reds had intense color and liveliness with soft tannins of great persistence, East oasis reds were intense, alcoholic and powerful, and Uco Valley Malbec had intense, expressive color and good aromatic intensity. In the upper Mendoza River zone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tannat and Bonarda showed great potential where hail had not struck.

• North oasis whites: expressive and elegant in Chenin, Semillon, Torrontes Riojano and Chardonnay
• East oasis whites: well ripened, no herbaceous notes, marked tropical fruit
• Uco Valley: ripe, concentrated, spicy Merlot; excellent whites from healthy grapes
• South oasis: normal harvest and very good quality wines