Harvest report from Argentina

Positive growing conditions lead to good harvest and quality vintage.

Argentina with good yields and grape quality
Argentina with good yields and grape quality

Argentine wineries completed their second harvest of the pandemic. This time around, the wineries were well organized and more prepared to comply with the sanitary protocols to reduce risks of infections. The harvest report published by the National Institute of Viticulture (INV) indicated that 2.2 million tons of grapes were harvested throughout the national territory. These figures continue to increase with respect to the final record of 2020, which was exceeded a few weeks ago. It also exceeds the INV estimate of about 1.9 million tons. 

In Mendoza from January through March this year, temperatures have been cooler than normal with heavy rains, mainly in February, with 40 mm above the average of 160 mm. Heavy frost in October seems to have mainly affected eastern Mendoza and San Juan, and luckily the damage does not seem to have had a big impact. Mendoza harvested 1.55 million tons, a total that makes up two thirds of the national total. In the case of San Juan, the second province of viticultural importance, the yield has been 0.519 million tons. The eastern part of the province of Mendoza continues to be the most productive in the country with 765 thousand tons harvested through the beginning of May. This figure is 100,000 tons less than in 2018, the highest mark in the last five years. Regarding grape varieties, in Mendoza the most predominant is Malbec with 377,659 tons of the total harvest. Criolla Grande comes in second with 197,430 tons. Meanwhile, Bonarda is third in the province with 174,201 tons.

 

Cool season, good quality

About the 2021 vintage, Daniel Pi, chief winemaker of Grupo Peñaflor points out: "In Mendoza, the season was cool, similar to 2016, with more solar radiation. There have been rainfalls above normal at the beginning of the season that affected the health of some white grapes. The cool summer temperatures allowed red grapes to ripen very slowly. Whites wines will have lower alcohol content, but fresh with distinguished varietal notes". 

In the south of Mendoza, the 2021 harvest, unlike the previous one, lasted almost 20-30 days longer than usual, with very good maturation and a perfect acid balance. The pH values were low for the area, thus achieving important natural acidity.

Silvio Alberto, chief winemaker and viticulturist from Bodegas Bianchi in San Rafael, south of Mendoza, anticipates very good grape quality: "I would dare to say that for many vintages we have not had this combination of factors, that all together have achieved very fresh, rich, floral and fruity varietal white wines with very good acidity".

About the 2021 vintage in the province of Salta, in northern Argentina, Daniel Heffner, winemaker of El Cese winery said: "In general, it was a very good quality vintage with 8-10 percent decrease in kilos, especially in Torrontés. The climate was dry, and it was remarkable the good health of the grapes, with great color and concentration in the red wines". 

From San Patricio del Chañar, Patagonia, Nicolas Navio, winemaker of Patritti winery said "We faced an interesting harvest, because we had good yields and great grape quality, with good balance in the vines. It has been a dry year with good health in the vines, as usual in this region. Summer extended a little longer than normal, but nights were cool. Thanks to this, the wines and musts in fermentation have good pH and acidity. This year the grapes that stand out in terms of quality are Pinot Noir, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay". DLR
 

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