Aruma Malbec

For its tenth anniversary, Bodegas CARO chose to celebrate the grape that has come to symbolize Argentina’s vineyards by selecting a pure Malbec: ARUMA. Originally from France, Malbec (Cahors) was introduced to Argentina by a Frenchman, Jean Pouget, in 1868, which coincidentally was the same year James de Rothschild purchased Château Lafite. A very fruity, exuberant, powerful grape, Malbec has adapted wonderfully to the Mendoza region where the sunshine and cool nights soften its tannins and reveal its velvety smoothness. “ARUMA” means “night” in the language of the Quechua, the native people of the Mendoza region. We chose this name because it is the intense darkness of the nights in the Andes and the pure mountain air that give the wines the rich, authentic character of their terroir. ARUMA - the wine of the mountain nights.

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 variatons between night and day. 2022 was a dry vintage, an easygoing season which helped to achieve the characteristic expression of Mendoza’s high-altitude vineyards. Average temperatures were above historical averages from September to January and slightly below in February, March, and April. Rainfall was lower than the historical averages for the vegetative period. In the Uco Valley area, the harvest began with Malbec on March 21st and ended with Cabernet Sauvignon on April 7th. This harvest allowed the healthiest grapes of the ideal ripeness to be obtained. Bud break took place on the usual dates, around October 5th for Malbec and October 8th for Cabernet Sauvignon. Flowering and fruit set occurred in normal times, from November 15th to 27th.

Grapes were harvested by hand, carefully selected, destemmed, and crushed before being placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation. A traditional winemaking process ensued with pump-over and delestage. Total maceration time lasted from 12 to 15 days. Aruma is aged in tanks in order to preserve its fruit-driven style and allow the varietal characters of the Malbec to come through.

Intense with a deep ruby color. The nose is very fruity, with pure aromas of berry fruits, violets, and notes of blackcurrant. On the palate, the wine is round, fresh, and well balanced.