Syrah
This is a variety that requires special knowledge of viticulture. The plants in our vineyardwere selected following years of detailed monitoring and study to thus establish their quality.

Vineyard Location
Grown in “San Alberto” Vineyard, Lunlunta, Luján de Cuyo, at 900 m above sea level. Planted in closely spaced rows, with very short distances between vines, this system allows roots search for nutrients in depth, fully extracting the best of the soil.

Climate
Autumn is warm and winter intensely cold.Summer days are temperate and its nights quite cool.These conditions are ideal for reaching good maturity and wines of great body. Temperature averages are 23°C during summer and4-5° in winter.Annual rainfalls: not more than 200 mm.

Soil
The origin of these soils is alluvial, with layered strata of chalk, limestone and clay, conditions that allow stability and permeable qualities, assisting root health and oxygen exchange. Soil fertility is closely checked, by means of routine tests, to verify the required balance.

Vineyard Density
This is a 10 hectare vineyard and the average age of vines is 20 years. Yields are kept low to enable each plant to reach its full potential (2-3 bunches per vine). The vineyard has 11,000plants per hectare, a highly intensiveplot, yet with the full nutrient allowance the soil gives.

Pruning
Double Guyot System. Additional practices ensure that the maximum yield allowance of 30 hectoliters per hectare is observed.

Vineyard Management
Conducted naturally andorganically, without use of fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides.Only natural products are used, together with biological pest control and surface irrigation with mountain water that is rich in minerals and sediments.

Harvest
Harvest is carried out manually in March in cages of 12-14 kilos to avoid berry damage and preserve them from contamination. At this point the vines have undergone two bunch selections: the first after flowering and the second when the berries colored, to cull out those malformed, defective or lacking adequate color.

Winery Arrival
Upon arrival atthe winery, the third selection of fruit bunches is carried out manually over special tables to separate immature grapes, dry or withered, before proceeding to remove stems. This operation is performed by a machine placed across the opening of the fermentation vessel.

Winery Method
Fermentation and maceration of this variety takes place at 25-28°C, prolonging the contact of grape skin with the juices. The process takes 30 days. “Pumping up” and “Punching down” procedures are performed daily.

Casking
Once alcoholic fermentation is completed, it is poured for malolactic fermentation into new American oak casks for 2 months.After this stage, it is left in French oak casks for 8 to 10 months.

Bottling
The wine is kept 60 days in a “cold chamber” at very low temperature for stablilization. Then is bottled without filtering. Ageing in bottle enables wine to express its full potential, evidencing virtues hitherto unexpressed. The time in bottle gives quality and refinement. Theperiod of repose in bottles lasts 10 months, before it is considered ready for marketing.

Tasting Notes
Mild, perfumed, rounded and warm. There is a depth to it, with gentle, abundant tannins. It takes two hours to elicit its smoky and mineral aroma with cocoa, mulberry, spice and vanilla notes. The ripeness of the grape has left its heritage of complexity.

Gourmet Notes
Its delicate nature makes this wine ideal for being served with lean fish, duck, grilled pork and pasta.