CARO

CARO was born of the alliance between two wine cultures (French and Argentine), two noble grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec), and two renowned wine families, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite and Nicolás Catena. Both vignerons since the 19th century, these two powerful organizations have combined their deep knowledge of Mendoza’s high-altitude terroir and the art of winemaking to create a unique portfolio of wines: CARO, Amancaya, and Aruma. Two noble grapes, two families, one dear and elegant portfolio of wines.

The 2020 vintage was historical in many ways. 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 berries reached phenolic ripeness in a very short time span. 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 in San Pablo.

CARO is made with the utmost care, just like our Bordeaux Grands Crus. CARO grapes come from selected sections of rows where the soil is layered with calcareous deposits as well as limestone, remnants of a river which used to flow through Altamira, and from selected sites in Gualtallary and San Pablo. Grapes are carefully selected and hand harvested. After destemming, they are placed in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for alcoholic fermentation. Maceration lasts for a period of 20 days with gentle pump-over. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in tanks, then the wine is transferred into French oak barrels made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac (18% new oak) for a period of 18 months.

The nose reveals aromas of black fruit such as blackcurrant and blueberry. On the palate, the wine exhibits excellent balance, soft tannins confer its elegant structure and persistent freshness contributes to the harmonious finish.