2010 Argentina (Mendoza) Vintage

Bud break in Mendoza was very good but came 7 to 10 days late. A mild spring frost on 30 September, as early varieties were budding, did not damage shoots but did damage inflorescences, causing millerandage, the partial abortion of flowers; Malbec and Chardonnay were among the hardest hit, and production losses generally ranged between 10% and 40%, with vineyards in the colder areas suffering most. An early November frost reduced yields in some areas of Mendoza, and the very dry season included a heat spike in the middle of January that triggered shutdowns in many vines. Overall it was a dry year with very healthy grapes: the season was warm at its onset and cooler towards the end, with warm weather through January and the first fortnight of February and a cooler March. The one big storm came on 19 March, bringing 110 mm of rain to some areas of Tupungato, somewhat less to the rest of the Uco Valley and 40 to 60 mm to the main vine-growing areas of Lujan; the weather then stayed dry with very cool nights, so health and quality were unaffected. Ripening was delayed by 10 to 15 days. White varieties were picked from February in the warm areas and from March in the cooler ones, and Wine Spectator described a late but exceptional harvest. Wines of Argentina put Mendoza's crop at 1.8 million tons, 26% above 2009, while Edgardo Del Popolo's summary on JancisRobinson.com put Mendoza production 10% below the historic average.

• Bud break: very good, but 7 to 10 days late
• Frost: a mild frost on 30 September caused millerandage, with losses generally 10% to 40%; an early November frost reduced yields in some areas
• Rain: a dry year; one big storm on 19 March brought 110 mm to some areas of Tupungato and 40 to 60 mm to Lujan
• Yield: Mendoza 1.8 million tons, 26% above 2009; Laura Catena told Wine Spectator overall yields were down 20 to 25 percent

The authors of the Wines of Argentina report tasted wines in different areas of Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley and said they expected excellent quality. In Mendoza's southern Uco Valley, alcohol levels ran 0.5 to 1 percent below normal, with fresh acidity and ripe, silky textures. Jose Spisso, head winemaker for O. Fournier, said: "Tempranillo ripened extremely late and Syrah shows exceptional balance and extreme concentration." Del Popolo noted a nice performance from sandy, rocky soil parcels and singled out "Gualta Chardonnays". Outside Mendoza, Neuquen had a season much like Mendoza's, with an even longer ripening delay, while in Rio Negro flowering and veraison both ran two weeks later than usual.

• Uco Valley: Sauvignon Blanc from the best vineyards showed fresh, intense aromatic expression
• Southern Uco Valley: alcohol 0.5 to 1 percent below normal, with fresh acidity
• San Juan: a 7 to 10 day bud break delay and an early September frost that caused substantial losses in table grapes
• Rio Negro: a long, cold winter and frequent, mild spring frosts; flowering two weeks later than usual

Argentina's vintners were ecstatic about 2010, Wine Spectator reported, with some calling it the best since 2002; most producers had alcohol levels of 14 percent or less, relatively low for the region. Santiago Achaval of Achaval-Ferrer told the magazine: "Sugars just stayed the same for two weeks, but the phenolic ripeness kept going, so there are no green flavors at all." The Wines of Argentina report described reds of intense color, with fruity, floral and rather fresh aromas, a strong presence of mature tannins, medium to full bodied and perhaps less fleshy than in 2009, and expected them to resemble 2007 or 2008 more than 2009. Whites came in with good freshness, higher acidity and somewhat lower alcohol than the previous harvest. Del Popolo rated 2010 very good, a cool vintage of fresh wines.

• Reds: millerandage brought chromatic and aromatic intensity and excellent fruit and tannin concentration
• Whites: very good quality; concentration similar to or somewhat lower than 2009, especially in Chardonnay
• Alcohol: most producers at 14 percent or less
• Del Popolo's ranking of vintages since 2010 placed 2010 sixth of eight, ahead of 2011 and 2015