Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda-en – Altos Las Hormigas

Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda

Mendoza

Vintage Notes

2022 was a shorter harvest than others, but no less intense. The season was marked by strong heatwaves, a year in which the physiological maturity was slightly delayed with respect to the organoleptic. Our work in the vineyard allowed us to obtain the desired alcohol and acidity just before the heat waves, preserving the fruit character and the tension of the skin of the berries. The season also had heavy rains, which threatened to delay the harvest. However, the rains stopped and gave us a window, just in time, to harvest our fruit with optimum ripeness and health. The cold of the last few weeks before harvest gave the grapes the necessary time to finish ripening and balance all their compounds. 2022 was a year with great concentrations, colors, and health, in which fruity and spicy notes prevailed.

vineyard

100% Bonarda organic grapes coming 90% from own pergola vineyards located in Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza), at 800 masl, and a 10% coming from our Jardin Altamira vineyard in Paraje Altamira – Uco Valley – at 1200 masl. The area has a semi-desert climate with hot days and cool nights. The soils in Luján de Cuyo have an alluvial origin and deep horizons, with a fine silt-sandy texture that favors good water drainage. These soils allow a deep development of the roots, promoting a fresh ecosystem for them. Their water retention capacity is great for the roots to expand and give the plants a better ability to resist heat waves, which are common during the summer in Mendoza. We call these “fresh soils”, since there is a presence of less than 10% of stones in them.

Winemaking

Vinified in 200hl stainless steel tanks at 24°C (75°F). Fermentation for 15 days, with daily rack-and-return for a gentle extraction. The wine is aged in concrete tanks for 10 months, receiving no oak treatment in order to preserve freshness and to represent a pure expression of the grape.

Tasting Notes

Our vineyard, cared for under a concept of regenerative and organic agriculture, produced a juicy, full of life Bonarda in this vintage. It shows a bright ruby red color, with violet hues. On the nose, notes of pink pepper, olives, chamomile flower, quince and strawberry stand out. The fruit has a lot of presence on the nose, as well as on the palate. The entrance to the palate is fresh, with a balanced acidity and notes of spices, especially clove. It is a wine with great grip in the mouth, balanced tannins, a crisp sensation and a saline and juicy finish. Ideal for pairing with pasta Pomodoro dishes, pizza and light meats.

technical data

awards

92 pts Tim Atkin, MW
90 pts James Suckling
90 pts Vinous
90 pts Descorchados Guide by Patricio Tapia

Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda

Mendoza

harvest

2023 was a vintage of extremes. The beginning of spring was cool, with low rainfall, but at the end of October, a heavy frost affected the entire region. Towards the end of spring, a series of heat waves began and they lasted until the end of the harvest. The situation was different in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. In Lujan, the heat wave remained until we picked up the grapes. In the Valley, it rained for a few days and this dampened the advance of grape ripening. The early harvest was decisive in maintaining the winery’s style. Despite the challenges of the harvest, these conditions favored wines with great concentration in the mouth, verticality, and texture.

vineyard

100% Bonarda organic grapes coming from own pergola vineyards located in Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza), at 800 masl. The area has a semi-desert climate with hot days and cool nights. The soils here have an alluvial origin and deep horizons, with a fine silt-sandy texture that favors good water drainage. These soils allow a deep development of the roots, promoting a fresh ecosystem for them. Their water retention capacity is great for the roots to expand and give the plants a better ability to resist heat waves, which are common during the summer in Mendoza. We call these “fresh soils”, since there is a presence of less than 10% of stones in them.

elaboration

Vinified in 200hl stainless steel tanks at 23°C (74°F). Fermentation for 15 days, with daily rack-and-return for a gentle extraction. The wine is aged in concrete tanks for 10 months, receiving no oak treatment in order to preserve freshness and to represent a pure expression of the grape. Aged in the bottle for 3 months.

CATA’s notes

The 2023 is the twentieth vintage of our beloved Bonarda, a wine that has grown and changed in the last 20 years, becoming a flag wine for the fans of this grape variety around the world. We feel very proud of what we have achieved with this wine, especially in this vintage that it shows its best characteristics. The wine has a deep, lively red color with intense dark red hues. The nose is full of spices, with notes of pink pepper, olives, eucalyptus, fig, plums and linden blossom. It has a fruity and agile entry in the mouth. The mid-palate offers textured tannins, integrated acidity and great intensity of flavors. It is a vertical wine, with a balanced structure and a delicate, spiced finish. Ideal for pairing with pasta Pomodoro dishes, pizza and light meats.

technical data

Vintage: 2023
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Total Acidity: 6.00 g/l
PH: 3.60
Residual Sugar: 2.95 g/l
Closure: DIAM cork
Bottle Capacity: 750 ml
Technical Team: Alberto Antonini, Pedro Parra, Federico Gambetta, Victoria Maselli.

awards

91 pts Tim Atkin, MW
91 pts Descorchados Guide

Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda

Mendoza

harvest

2024 was a vintage with cold and warm weather bouts combined and interspersed. Thanks to our team care and to regenerative agriculture we produced typical colder vintage wines: tense, juicy, and lively. The spring was cold, with several Zonda wind events causing frosts. These conditions led to a slow yet well-fulfilled completion of the phenological process, while posing challenges for the plants to set due to the wind, which also resulted in reduced canopies. The prelude to the harvest was an extensive heat wave that lasted more than 3 weeks, with maximum temperatures reaching around 40°C (104°F) and little thermal amplitude. This increased the sugar content, but at the same time, the pulp did not separate from the seed, yet retaining a very attractive natural acidity. As we approached the final stretch and the harvest, the fruit matured slowly, allowing us to wait and retain a good level of natural acidity and freshness. Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley experienced diverging weather conditions, with significant ripening variation observed between the two areas. The team followed the evolution of the process without respite, tailoring the harvest plot by plot, confirming once more that exceptional wines are indeed crafted in the vineyard.

vineyard

100% Bonarda organic grapes coming 75% from own pergola vineyards located in Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza), at 800 masl, and a 25% coming from our Jardin de Hormigas vineyard in Paraje Altamira – Uco Valley – at 1200 masl. The area has a semi-desert climate with hot days and cool nights. The soils in Luján de Cuyo have an alluvial origin and deep horizons, with a fine silt-sandy texture that favors good water drainage. These soils allow a deep development of the roots, promoting a fresh ecosystem for them. Their water retention capacity is great for the roots to expand and give the plants a better ability to resist heat waves, which are common during the summer in Mendoza. We call these “fresh soils”, since there is a presence of less than 10% of stones in them.

elaboration

Vinified in stainless steel tanks at 22°C (72°F). We used 10% of the whole bunch, part at the base of the tank and the rest on top. Fermentation for 15 days, with daily rack-and-return for a gentle extraction. The wine was aged in concrete tanks for 10 months, receiving no oak treatment in order to preserve freshness and to represent a pure expression of the grape. It was aged in the bottle for 3 months.

CATA’s notes

With each vintage of this wine, we see that an organic vineyard management allows for an unparalleled expression of the character of this special variety, the Argentine Bonarda. In this 2024 vintage, we have a wine profile typical of a cold year, but coming from a warm vintage. Its bright red color is striking, with very vivid violet hues. In a first approach on the nose, it feels reductive and tapenade aromas stand out. As the wine opens up, the wine shows notes of coriander, plum, cardamom, anise, carob bark and mint. The palate is very juicy, vibrant, with great texture. Herbal notes stand out, also showing the anise and cardamom notes first seen on the nose. It has a long finish full of tapenade and black fruit notes. Ideal for pairing with pasta Pomodoro dishes, pizza and light meats.

technical data

5211

awards

Subscribe to our Newsletter