Blend Icono 2020

Produced in the heart of Luján de Cuyo, in the Mendoza wine region, Caelum's 2020 Icono Blend embodies the power and finesse of a high-altitude terroir located at 1,000 meters. The estate's 23 hectares, planted on clay-limestone soils and cultivated using sustainable agriculture, benefit from a semi-arid continental climate with bright days and cool nights. This exceptional temperature range promotes slow and even ripening, allowing each grape variety to reveal its character, and giving this blend all its depth and uniqueness.

Vinification is based on manual selection of the grapes, followed by a five-day cold pre-fermentation maceration. Alcoholic fermentation, initiated in barrels using indigenous yeasts, lasts twenty days and includes a proportion of whole, uncrushed bunches to preserve the aromatic intensity of the red fruits. Three daily manual punching downs ensure fine and controlled extraction. After malolactic fermentation, the wine continues a long aging of twenty months on lees in new 300-liter French oak barrels, where it acquires texture, complexity, and elegance.

This wine reveals notes of blackcurrant , black plum , blackberry , mushroom , black olive , liquorice , damp earth and sweet spices . On the palate, the ample and fleshy attack imposes itself with a contained power, balanced by a vibrant acidity. The firm, perfectly coated tannins structure a dense and silky material. The finish, with remarkable persistence, deploys a mineral depth and an aromatic complexity which marks a wine of great ageing, combining intensity, refinement and unique identity.

Although Argentina is considered the "New World," its winemaking tradition is much older than one might think, dating back to the time of Spanish colonization in the 16th century and later to Italian settlers. Unlike Chile, wine has long been a part of the country's culture. No wine-producing country in the world made more progress in the final years of the 20th century (in terms of viticulture and oenology, and necessarily financially), which allowed the country's wine producers to raise quality levels and successfully consolidate an international export market. Argentina has now become the fifth largest wine-producing country in the world, after France, Italy, Spain, and the United States. Viticulture is practiced mainly in the foothills of the Andes, and more specifically in Mendoza, where desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to give rise to aromatic and intensely perfumed wines. Some vineyards can even be planted up to 3,000 meters above sea level! The terroir here is well-suited to Argentina's adopted grape variety: the ubiquitous Malbec. Originally from Bordeaux, it is now responsible for some of Argentina's most famous wines, characterized by their brightness and intensity, with floral notes and black fruit flavors. Other red varieties produced in Argentina include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir. Among white wines, the emblematic grape of the Argentine wine region is Torrontés, which produces a wine with a floral and tropical flavor. The country also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Today, Argentine wines are recognized worldwide for their full-bodied reds and as high-quality wines.