Alto Valle de Río Negro IG

The Alto Valle is where Río Negro's modern wine story starts. The INV recognised the name in Resolution C.37/2002, and Humberto Canale had been growing grapes in General Roca since 1912.

Mainqué is the sub-zone to watch. It has heavy red clay soils with a lot of iron, with rounded river pebbles in the soil. Above the valley floor are bardas, eroded terraces. Rain is only 150 to 200 mm a year, winter temperatures can drop to about -5°C, and the rest of the year runs from 10°C to 35°C. The wind comes mostly from the southeast and humidity is low. Vines are flood irrigated, and the sandy ground kept phylloxera out, so ungrafted vines from the 1930s and 1950s are still working.

Bodega Chacra has 24 hectares of Pinot Noir, farmed organically and biodynamically, with 3 hectares from 1932 and 7 from 1955. Noemía made its first vintage in 2001 and holds 1.5 hectares of 1932 Malbec among 18 hectares in total. In these wines I'm looking for structure and freshness that have survived the weight of old vines.