Ojos del Sur Malbec, Patagonia 2024

Bodega Malma, meaning pride in the local dialect, is situated in the Neuquén region of Patagonia at 39° south. This is a relatively new region with production only beginning in the early 2000s and only 1700 ha of vines planted but it is seen as very important for the development of wine growing in an area which currently has a very limited number of wineries.

Here, there is a big variation between day and night temperatures which gives slow ripening, leading to good concentration and acidities, while breezes and relatively low humidity keep the vines healthy. The soils are alluvial, deep, complex and mineral rich. The winery has 127 ha of vines planted with a drip irrigation system. These are mainly Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon and Chardonnay with great care being taken to match the varieties to the best terroir for them. The winery is owned by the Viola family who produced their first vintage here in 2004 from vines planted in 2001 and are pioneers for the entire region. Hans Vinding-Diers is employed as consulting oenologist. The winery itself has a capacity of 1.8 million litres with 200 barrels and storage capacity for 400,000 bottles. It’s constructed to blend in with the landscape, combining advanced winemaking technology with the aesthetics of the surrounding mountains and, as well as the winery, comprises a restaurant and accommodation on the site. Patagonia is well known for having a Welsh speaking community, located in the Chabut Valley, south of Neuquén.