2016 Decero Amano encapsulates aromatics, balance, elegance and a silky profile for which the wine is renown. The heightened acidity of this vintage makes this wine exceptionally elegant. The wine is an ethereal expression which is always greater than the sum of its parts.
As the flagship of the estate, Decero Amano takes its name from our “amano” or “by hand” approach. Each year, the wine is masterfully blended using the most distinctive parcels from the Remolinos Vineyard. A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat, the wine is characterized by its warm aromas of leather, liquorice and baked black plum. World-renowned wine critic, Luis Gutierrez, of The Wine Advocate, once described the wine as “pure silk, with a kind of Audrey Hepburn perfection.”
Finca Decero and the estate’s single vineyard is located at 3500ft in the Agrelo sub-appellation of Luján de Cuyo in the north western part of the province of Mendoza. Remolinos Vineyard derives its name from the little whirlwind spiral formations of soil which form in the afternoon as the gentle wind lifts the dry soil from the paths of the vineyard into swaying ‘dust devils’.
Altitude plays and critical role in quality of Finca Decero’s wines as it reduces night-time temperatures which is key to preserving the natural acidity in the grapes. This natural acidity plays an important role in the aging potential of the wines (allowing the wines to age with grace over a long period of time), but also in the natural freshness/crispness and hallmark elegance of Finca Decero wines. In addition, grapes grown at higher altitudes absorb more ultraviolet light. This has a significant impact on the phenol content of the grape skins as they thicken to protect from UV absorption. As such, grapes grown at higher altitude, as at Finca Decero, produce wines of enhanced texture and intensity of color.
Finca Decero has a unique tapestry of soils which is unmatched in other areas of Agrelo. From the beginning, the winery has done extensive soil profiling to make planting decisions and in 2015, overseen by wine terroir consultant Pedro Parra Ph.D, has further investigated the micro-differences affecting each individual vine. Remolinos Vineyard is the converging point in Agrelo of two different soil formations: alluvial and colluvial soils. The vineyard also uniquely has very high levels of calcium carbonate dissolved in the silt deposits interlaced through these soil types across the vineyard. It is this dissolved calcium carbonate and silt that give Decero wines their hallmark silky palate feel for which they are renown.
The must underwent a 7 day cold soak, followed by 10-12 days of fermentation in small wide stainless steel tanks and finally a 23-25 day extended maceration period. The wine was gently basket pressed before going into new French oak barrels for 20 months maturation followed by a year in bottle prior to release. The wine consists of 63% Malbec, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Tannat.
The forecast of the 2016 vintage was set to be similar to the cool, rainy 2015 vintage. With this in mind, leaves were plucked on both the east and west facing canopies to ensure good airflow in the face of cool rains. In reality, the intermittent rains stopped in January and the dry February and March saw phenolic ripeness achieved. The vintage expresses itself in high acidity, lower than normal alcohol and fresh flavors.
