Caro

CARO was born of the alliance between two wine cultures (French and Argentine), two noble grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec), and two renowned wine families, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite and Nicolás Catena. Both vignerons since the 19th century, these two powerful organizations have combined their deep knowledge of Mendoza’s high-altitude terroir and the art of winemaking to create a unique portfolio of wines: CARO, Amancaya, and Aruma. Two noble grapes, two families, one dear and elegant portfolio of wines.

Nestled at the foothills of the snowcapped Andes mountains, Mendoza is known as the best wine producing region in Argentina. With vines planted on high plateaux between 800 and 1200m A.S.L. Mendoza wines draw their character from an exceptional sun exposure and wide temperature variations between night and day. CARO vineyard is a plot of 8ha located Altamira, in the Uco Valley, South of Mendoza. Vineyards are planted at 1000m A.S.L., on the ancient alluvial bed of the Tunuyan River. 2022 was a relatively dry vintage. Bud break was early Oct. with flowering the second half of Nov.. Harvest began with Malbec on March 21 and ended with Cabernet Sauvignon on April 7. Temperatures were above avg from Sept. to Feb. and slightly below in March/April. Rainfall was lower than average allowing for healthy grapes with the ideal ripeness.

CARO is made with the utmost care, just like our Bordeaux Grands Crus. CARO grapes come from selected sections of rows where the soil is layered with calcareous deposits as well as limestone, remnants of a river which used to flow through Altamira, and from selected sites in Gualtallary and San Pablo. Grapes are carefully selected and hand harvested. After destemming, they are placed in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for alcoholic fermentation. Maceration lasts for a period of 20 days with gentle pump-over. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in tanks, then half the wine is transferred into French oak barrels made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac (18% new oak) for a period of 14 months.

Complex aromas of black fruit, such as blackberries and black cherries, and figs on a background of mild spices and subtle cocoa notes. On the palate, the wine is dense and velvety, supported by fleshy and powerful tannins. The range of aromas gradually reveals itself, leading to an extremely flavorsome finish. A very balanced wine that expresses itself with subtlety.