Pale straw-yellow color; honeysuckle, orange blossom, citrus, lemon, pear, brioche, wet stone minerality, hint of salinity, oak notes on the nose and palate.
Dry (2.4 g/L residual sugar); faint tannins; refreshing acidity; creamy, rich mouthfeel. Medium-plus body. Grapes come from high altitude Las Piedras Vinyard—4,100 feet elevation. Hand selected and picked in three passes through the vineyard to select for ideal ripeness. Gentle pneumatic pressing. Temperature-controlled fermentation, starting at 55ºF and increasing to 64ºF. Partial malolactic conversion. Aged 12 months in used oak barrels to get subtle toasted oak notes. 13.5% ABV
Trapiche is one of the oldest brands in Argentina (established in 1883) and is Argentina’s largest exporter of premium wines, selling in more than 80 countries. The winery produces wine in all price ranges. Many Trapiche grapes go into grape concentrate, which helps make Argentina the leading grape concentrate producer in the world. The Terroir Series launched in 2003 to showcase Argentina’s diverse wine regions through single vineyard offerings.
The Argentine Bemberg family purchased Trapiche in 2010 from the Penaflor Group/Pulenta family, keeping ownership and control in Argentina. Trapiche has almost 3,000 vineyard acres in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and purchases additional fruit from more than 200 independent growers. It has a dramatically beautiful winery and tasting room. Sergio Eduardo Casé is the chief winemaker. Marcelo Belmonte is the agricultural engineer.
In the U.S., Trapiche is distributed by The Wine Group LLC, based in Livermore, California. Other brands in The Wine Group portfolio include Chloe, Big House Wine Company, Cupcake, Franzia, Almaden, Corbett Canyon, Concannon, MD 20/20, and others. So this should have wide availability.
Trapiche Terroir Series Chardonnay Finca Las Piedras Single Vineyard, Los Árboles, Mendoza, Argentina 2021 is elegant, round, tasty, rich, fresh. Impressively balanced between lush opulence and overall restraint of oak, alcohol, and fruit ripeness. Vineyard among the highest in wine world delivers quality acidity. Layered, inviting, polished. Pairing—grilled salmon, tuna steaks, oysters, ceviche, sushi rolls; grille chicken, especially with a sweet-savory pineapple-soy glaze; curry-rubbed roast chicken; duck confit. Pasta and risotto dishes with rich sauces; lobster ravioli; mushroom fettuccine alfredo; lemon-zested linguine with clams. Caramelized root vegetables, grilled asparagus; stuffed grape leaves; ratatouille; wild mushroom tart, truffle-infushed polenta. Cheese—brie, camembert; aged gouda, farmhouse cheddar; cambozola, gogonzola dolce; chèvre, Argentine queso de cabra. $43-46
Trapiche Wines–Argentina website
