Bodegas Caro
“An association between two cultures, two families and two grapes”
Baron Eric de Rothschild
The vineyard
Meticulous selection
From the outset, one of the top priorities for Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena family was to select the finest terroir with the finest soils that would enhance the alliance between Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Currently, plots of vines for Caro come from within the Catena family’s own vineyards and are supplemented with grapes from other top vineyards in Mendoza, known for the high quality of their Malbec and, in particular, old Malbec. The Malbec comes from vines that are over 30 years old, located at between 800 and 1,400 metres above sea level in the regions of Vistalba, La Consulta, Tupungato and Agrelo. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes come from vines that are over 20 years old and planted at between 950 and 1,150 metres above sea level in Agrelo and La Consulta.
Microclimate and soil have a huge impact on the Malbec grape. The altitude and exposure are crucial - the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature, and the shorter the hot season. Bodegas Caro cultivates four major Malbec terroirs.
• Gualtallary and Tupungato are located at an altitude of 1400 metres, where the hot season is shorter and ripening can be difficult. The grapes from these vineyards are very purple in colour with more floral aromas, some anise and balsamic, and notes of red cherry.
• Vistalba consists of older vines at an altitude above 1150 m, where temperatures are cool. It produces wines with aromas of dark fruit, black cherries and prunes, and very complex, finely textured tannins.
• Agrelo (950 m) is warmer and has deeper soil, producing round, very dark, powerful Malbec grapes, with notes of dark fruit, blackberries and, black plums.
• La Consulta (980 m) is an unusual terroir, being colder, sandy and very windy. The grapes are very purple with balsamic flavours.
Bodegas Caro has been developing new areas of vines since 2009 which will be added to the current selection.
The property is managed by Estela Perinetti. Eric Kohler, DBR's Technical Director, provides technical supervision.
