“The best measure of a wine’s worth is an empty bottle,”said Germán di Cesare the winemaker for Botega Trivento, the 3,185-acre estate in Mendoza Argentina,as I sat down to lunch with him. Germán is very personable and passionate about wine and an authority on traditional Argentine culture. He is also a skilled cook specializing in Argentinian cuisine.
German di Cesare
Speaking about the climatic conditions in Mendoza, German told me that he pays close attention to location, soil and climate, and, at Trivento, the “Three Winds” that sweep through Mendoza and forge the identity of the terroir and are the true key to understanding the region. How to harness and work with these distinctive winds can be difficult, but German grew up here and instinctively knows what do.
He said that he is going back to older techniques, using concrete tanks and larger foudres for aging and pulling back on oak treatments. In his wine he is looking for freshness, fruit without heaviness, a wine that is both easy to understand and complex in flavor.
The Wines
Amado Sur Chardonnay, 2013, the production zone is Mendoza, Argentina. Made from Chardonnay with moderate amounts of Pinot Grigio and Viognier. The Chardonnay and Viognier come from the Finca Los Ponchos Vineyard, located in the Tupungato area of the Uco Valley, the highest altitude sub region of Mendoza. The Pinot Grigio comes from the Finca del Alto Vineyard in the prime Lujan de Cuyo region. The grapes are hand picked in the beginning of March and placed in small cases for protection. The 3 grape varieties undergo a period of cold skin contact after they are destemmed and crushed. The juices are fermented separately in stainless steel for 2-3 weeks, preserving the grapes’ rich aromatic flavor. The wines are blended and aged for 2 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of pear, pineapple and peach. $15
Torrontés Reserve 100% Torrontés 2014. Harvest takes place the first week of March. After crushing, a period of cold skin contact follows. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel at 55/60 degrees F for 20 days to preserve the grapes’ aromatics and flavor. The wine has hints of peach and apricot with notes of violets and tropical fruit. $18
Amando Sur Malbec Blend 2013 The soil is alluvial. The grapes are hand harvested in April and undergo cold maceration prior to separate fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Natural malolactic fermentation follows. The separate wines are aged for 8 months in French oak barrels. After assemblage the wine is aged for six months in stainless steel and then another 5 months in bottle before release. It has hints of cherry and strawberry with a touch of vanilla, and a nice finish and pleasing aftertaste. $15
Malbec “Golden Reserva” 2013, 2012, 2011 100% Malbec Production zone Luján de Cuy, Mendoza. The grapes are harvested by hand in mid-April. Germán said that the grapes are hand sorted only by women because they have soft hands. The grapes are cold macerated prior to fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Aging takes place in French oak barrels of second and third passage for 12 months and another 12 months in bottle before release. The wines have hints of berries, plums and notes of coffee and tobacco with a nice finish and pleasing aftertaste. The 2011 is drinking the best at this time. All three went very well with the steak.$22
After we finished lunch, Germán looking around the table, repeated what he had said at the start: the best measure of a wine’s worth is an empty bottle.
Charles Scicolone on Wine 