Goyenechea
maintains a production area of 140 hectares of grapevines
on its property "La Vasconia", which borders the
small town of Villa Atuel, on the right bank of the Atuel
River. The names of the company and the property remind
us of the Basque origin of their founders.
The
soil is of alluvial origin with layers of sand and burdens
of coarser gravel. The texture is sandy.
The
climate is continental, almost desert, with a marked influence
of the mountain range of the Los Andes. The sum of heat
is 1810 degree-days, over 50ºF, during the vegetative
period, generally between September and February. The average
frost-free period extends from October 15 to the 4th of
May. The annual precipitation is 13.77 inches and the relative
humidity averages 54%. The exposure is N -S.
The
low rainfall has to be supplemented with irrigation. Abundant
water is available from defrosting in the Andes. The system,
by furrows or flood, varies according to the density of
planting and the system of conduction. The control of the
irrigation is probably as important for the quality of the
wine, as for the amount of the harvest. Most of the vineyard
is planted in "parral", with the fruit and a 7
foot high canopy to prevent frost damage. The greatest risk
is hail, which is now fought by the use of plastic networks
in each vineyard. The young Cabernet Sauvignon vines on
trellis are protected by vertical antihail mesh.
Pruning
takes place from mid-July to the middle of August; harvesting
from February to the end of March. Either the canes or the
spurs (cordon) are pruned, according to the varieties. Our
vineyards are carefully planned and maintained to ensure
the high quality of our wine. From the very beginning, the
varieties of vines to be planted were selected for those
best adapted to these soil and climate conditions to produce
grapes most suitable for the creation of superior wines,
so that the quality is already present in the vines that
are planted.
Some
of the present grapevines are approaching 100 years old,
with an average age of about 25 years. The first vines on
trellis date from 1908. They were varieties of Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot.
Nowadays,
the vineyard contains the followings cultivars:
REDS
Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Malbec.
WHITES
Chardonnay,
Sauvignon, Pineau de la Loire and Tocai friulano.