The estate

Finca Ferrer is a 317ha single estate at more than 1,300m altitude, about a 90-minute drive from Mendoza city.

A key to the quality of the wines is the calcium carbonate in the soil. Digging calicatas (exploratory holes) across the site revealed the estate has higher than average deposits of chalk.

Using the ‘degree day’ system to measure temperatures, the estate lies between Winkler II and III – essentially between a Bordeaux climate and a Rhône one, benefiting from significant influence of the Andes.

During the day, the sun is bright (with more than 300 sunny days a year) and the solar intensity encourages photosynthesis. As the sun goes down the vineyard is cooled by the evening winds, and overnight temperatures drop as much as 20°C. This large diurnal temperature difference ensures long, even ripening, building complexity in the grapes. The region is arid, with just 14cm of rain a year.

Both soil and climate enable sustainable farming, with low or no input of pesticides. Since phylloxera does not exist in these sandy, rocky, alluvial soils, this is one of the world’s increasingly scarce places where it’s possible to discover wines made from vines on their own rootstocks.

The estate’s vines are between seven and 14 years old. The varieties planted are Malbec, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tempranillo, Chardonnay. (The Finca Ferrer Torrontés is grown in vineyards to the north, in Cafayate.)