Petit CARO
The vintage
2020 vintage was historical in many ways. It has been the earliest vintage in the last 50 years !
Following a dry and prolonged mild winter at the foothills of the Andes, the sunny days of spring allowed for an early bud burst and flowering. The good weather prevailed over the rest of the season, with low rainfall. The abnormally warm vintage, especially in March, led to our earliest vintage ever. All the grapes reached phenolic ripeness in a very short time span this year. The absence of rain during the harvest allowed the grapes to reach the winery in excellent conditions.
The harvest started on the 10th of March in Altamira and finished on the 26th of March with grapes from San Pablo.
Location
Nestled at the foothills of the snowcapped Andes mountains, Mendoza is known as the best wine producing region in Argentina. With vines planted on high plateaux between 800 and 1500m above sea level, Mendoza's vineyards are known as the highest in the world. Sheltered from the rain by the mountains to the West and the Pampa to the East, the region is very arid. Mendoza wines draw their character from an exceptional sun exposure and wide temperature variations between night and day.
Terroir
Petit CARO shares the same style as his big brother CARO, combining power and elegance.
Grapes are sourced from selected plots of old vines in Lujan de Cuyo just outside Mendoza, and also from Altamira, further South. In Lujan de Cuyo, soils are quite varied depending on how close vineyards are to the mountains or to the Mendoza River, and tend to form alluvial layers of loam, rock, and gravel. In Altamira, vineyards are planted at 1000m above sea level, on the ancient alluvial bed of the Tunuyan River.
Winemaking
Harvest is conducted by hand and grapes are carefully sorted on tables and destemmed before being placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Regular pumping-over ensure a gentle extraction of the tannins. After malolactic fermentation, 50% of the wine is transfered into French oak barrels for a period of 12 months, and 50% is placed in concrete vats.
Tasting
Deep red color with intense ruby.
The nose is complex with red fruits and figs, followed by aromas of blackcurrant and spices.
On the palate, the wine is round with soft tannins, displaying generous aromas of blueberry and blackberry. Well balanced, with a good persistence on the finish.
Alcohol content
14.5
Grapes
Cabernet sauvignon
: 60 %
Malbec
: 38 %
Cabernet franc
: 2 %