Get to Know San Rafael: Mendoza, Argentina’s Cooler Side
Mendoza wines have been captivating the world for decades, with Malbec leading the way.
It’s easy to forget that Mendoza is a vast wine region, with more than 7 times as many acres planted to grapes as California’s Napa Valley wine region. This means that a Malbec from Mendoza’s northern reaches will likely have a different character than a Malbec from the south. Click here for a detailed Mendoza wine map.
Funckenhausen Vineyards, which GVI Wines is proud to represent, is one of south Mendoza’s most prominent producers. Their vineyards are situated in the San Rafael sub-region of Mendoza, an area which is making some of Argentina’s most elegant wines.
What do we mean by “elegant”? Generally, we’re talking about wines that have freshness and acidity as well as depth of flavor. These are wines that can be rich without being heavy and syrupy, wines that make your mouth water more than dry it out.
What, then, is San Rafael’s secret? For one thing, it occupies a cooler part of Mendoza, which gives the grapes more hangtime. This promotes flavor development.
Funckenhausen Vineyards’s surroundings are especially chilly because they not only occupy one of the highest points in San Rafael, they’re also situated near the region’s Diamante River.
The Diamante River flows down from the Andes Mountains, and over the centuries its runoff has created variable soil profiles in San Rafael with the presence of boulders close to the surface.
These boulders absorb the heat of day and provide a warming presence for the grapes, guaranteeing that they will ripen fully. Such rocky soils do not retain much water either, which forces the wine to dig its roots deeper to find what it needs.
Funckenhausen’s general manager Alejandro Heinlein has also noticed that his vineyards possess a greater concentration of sandy loam soils on the surface, which he associates with enhanced aromas and softer tannins.
San Rafael’s windy conditions also make it much easier to farm organically. While not as strong as Patagonia’s winds, the breezes that blow down from the Andes keep the grapes and leaves dry, which prevents mildew and other annoyances from damaging the vine. In grape-growing areas without such breezy conditions, the need to spray the vines is often much greater.
The bottom line is that San Rafael possesses the best of all possible grape-growing worlds. It has allowed Funckenhausen to grow Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Chardonnay at the highest possible levels. Mendoz’s cooler side has never tasted so good.
