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VINEYARDS |
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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.
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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. |
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