2017 Argentina (Mendoza) Vintage

After a very wet El Nino vintage in 2016, Argentina returned to its more characteristic dry climate. The 2017 growing season in Argentina and Chile brought extremely dry conditions, with a shift from the wetter El Nino regime to the drier conditions associated with La Nina. For Mendoza, Santiago Achaval, winemaker at Matervini, described "a return to almost normal Mendoza weather," with one problem: a series of near-frost events during spring that caused poor fruit set for Malbec, with yields down between 40% and 60%. A frost at the end of September severely affected Chardonnay, then at the beginning of budbreak; Malbec was still dormant but was also affected. Malbec benefited greatly from the dry and warm days after the summer, said Fernando Buscema, technical director of Bodegas Caro, and warm harvest weather boosted quality. The harvest came slightly earlier than normal, a blessing in disguise for Mendoza, as mid-April brought a big downpour of rain and several hailstorms. Dona Paula winemaker Marcos Fernandez said the fast pace of ripening was also stimulated by the generally low yields observed throughout the entire Mendoza province. Yields in the Mendoza region were down about 30 percent compared to normal, after a rain-plagued 2016 that delivered just half normal yields, and vintner Susana Balbo called 2017 the second-shortest harvest, considering yields mainly in Uco Valley appellations.

• Spring near-frost events caused poor fruit set for Malbec, with yields down between 40% and 60%
• A frost at the end of September severely affected Chardonnay at the beginning of budbreak
• A slightly earlier harvest than normal came in before a big mid-April downpour and several hailstorms in Mendoza
• Yields in the Mendoza region were down about 30 percent compared to normal

The season played out differently in other provinces. In Salta and northern Argentina, yields increased compared to 2016, with no reported complications. Further south in Rio Negro and Neuquen, late spring frosts reduced yields by up to 40%, followed by a hot summer, flash floods and hail. Hans Vinding-Diers, winemaker at Bodega Noemia in Rio Negro, described a risky growing season with frost, rain and heat waves, but said the grapes kept great acidity, fantastic fruit and, strangely enough, low alcohols, and that veraison took at least a month and a half to complete.

Quality is considered high across the board, and Matervini's Santiago Achaval called 2017 "a fantastic harvest in terms of quality." Bodegas Caro's Fernando Buscema said the dry, warm days after the summer let Malbec reach "the typical expression of the high-altitude vineyards of Mendoza," adding: "The grapes were characterized by their unique balance between sugar and acidity, along with the traditional softness of Malbec tannins." Decanter's Amanda Barnes MW concluded that Argentina's 2017 vintage was undeniably smaller but should stand out for its concentration and quality.