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Otronia needed Juan Pablo Murgia.
In southern Patagonia on a forsaken plateau ravaged by 100-mile-per-hour winds, desert conditions, frigid nights and the influence of the cold Pacific Ocean, Murgia launched a project that required hard work and imagination.
On a Zoom tasting, the affable winemaker was reminiscent of Dr. Emmett Brown, the fictional character from the “Back to the Future” trilogy of films. The unruly curls of his dark hair, the instruments on the shelves behind him, his boyish enthusiasm for the project and the passion with which he spoke could make him the scientist who figures out time travel, or the winemaker that turns out amazingly distinct wines from a site so far off the grid it’s not officially recognized as a wine grape growing region in Argentina.
Not yet, anyway.
“Otronia in the middle of the plateau, the climate and conditions are extreme,” Murgia said. “It’s a very cold place, but on average if you decompose the temperatures you can have a warm temperature but always cold at night, and there could be frost during the morning or night.”
While difficult conditions often yield the most impressive wines, Murgia has had to problem solve for many obstacles.
Because of the high winds, poplar trees were planted in high-density fashion to “soften the wind effect.” Nets also are used as wind reducers. When it rains, the moisture instantly is dried by the strong winds, thus reducing any mold or disease pressure on the vines.
When a freeze occurs, what water Otronia has gets spritzed on the infantile vines. Once it freezes, it protects the sensitive vegetation. When the water melts during the day, it serves as irrigation for the vines.
Perhaps most important though is the duration of the day in Patagonia and the intensity of the sun. The growing season features a 5 a.m. sunrise and an 11 p.m. sunset. The fruit has plenty of time to slowly ripen and then preserve its acidity during the cold nights.
“The nights are so cold it metabolizes so slowly,” Murgia said. “We keep all the malic acid, and that leads to the acidity, the salinity, the vibrancy and energy you taste in the wines.”
For all of its subtle notes and affordability, the Otronia 45 Rugientes Pinot Noir 2020 ($24) could be an everyday red for your dinner table. There was bacon fat, pine needles, tea leaves and black cherry on the nose, while rose water, cherry, bacon fat and mineral notes filled the flavor profile. There was just enough tannin on the finish to prop everything up. More concentrated and intense was the Otronia Block I Pinot Noir 2019 ($60), which had sweet cherry, candied strawberry and hints of clove. It’s a medium- to full-bodied pinot that is loaded with character and layers of flavors.
The Otronia 45 Rugientes Rosé 2020 ($22) had strawberry soda flavors and a creamy mouthfeel. It’s both refreshing and mineral laced. For being over 100 miles from the ocean, it too had hints of ocean salt.
From a 2.5-acre block of merlot, the Otronia 45 Rugientes Merlot 2020 ($24) had cherry, loamy earth, tobacco leaf and grippy tannins on the finish. A beam of acidity lies between the red and blue fruit flavors and green notes.
“We weren’t paying attention to the merlot until it showed up with this profile, and we fell in love with it,” Murgia said.
Tasted last was the Block III and VI Chardonnay 2019 ($66). Chardonnay is usually a palate starter, but not this time. The medium body and bold flavors of the white put it at just the right spot in the lineup. There’s loads of fruit from apricot, lemon and passion fruit to fresh floral notes, and the lasting impression was the sea salt taste that lingered on the finish.
“This is precision viticulture,” Murgia said. “It is a concept, a philosophy that is scientific techniques applied to the vineyard. We understand perfectly every single meter of land under our care, and use it in the best way.”
• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.
WINE MARKET TASTING NOTES
FOR TONIGHT
LangeTwins, Cabernet Sauvignon Thirty Eight Vineyard, Jahant AVA, Lodi 2020 ($38): There are dueling blue and red fruit flavors, black pepper; a green, rosemary-like note sweeps in on the finish where a striking beam of acidity rises above the well-integrated tannins.
“Our wine is $30,” said the fifth-generation family member and president of LangeTwins Winery and Vineyards, Marissa Lange. “You could blind taste it with $150 wine and end up very pleased with the result.”
FOR FRIDAY NIGHT
Torrin, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, Seneschal 2020 ($96): There were violets, roses and licorice on the nose. A medium- to full-bodied blend of 76% grenache, 20% graciano, 4% syrah. A real showcase for grenache, as winemaker Scott Hawley lets its perfumed, delicate nature shine with a velvety texture on which dueling red and blue fruits tangle with hints of menthol and warm, crushed rock.
FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT
La Caña, D.O. Rias Baixas Albarino ($21): Another crunchy white from Spain’s “green region” that has crispy, crunchy grapefruit and lemon rind flavors that mix in with honeysuckle, fresh-squeezed lime and rock salt.
FOR THE CELLAR
Ramón Bilbao, Lalomba Finca Valhonta 2018 ($124.99): Winemaker Rodolfo Bastida, a La Rioja, Spain, native, has a masterpiece of 100% tempranillo grown at an altitude of 1,135 feet; there was red fruit on the nose, with juicy flavors of cherry, blackberry and well-integrated tannins.
Even as climate change has forced Bastida to innovate, the wines are better than ever and can be enjoyed immediately or over time.
“Part of that change has taken place in the cellar,” Bastida said. “Tempranillo grapes have grown thicker skins due to warmer temperatures. Therefore, it’s no longer necessary to have extended contact with the juice during maceration. Lower fermentation temperatures are needed with thicker skins, and pump overs only take place one or two times per day.”