Primacia    

Cavas de Conde

Like many Bodegas, this medium-sized producer has gone through hard times. In a world awash with wine, the fact is that merely adequate producers must either improve or die. Cavas de Conde has chosen the former course.

It is an old winery, with three owning families whose interest had waned. Production of better wines dwindled along with exports and the market became bulk and inexpensive bottled wine for local consumption. The families, absentee owners in Buenos Aires, saw their incomes decline. Six years ago they hired Daniel Gonzalez to run the business. Sr. Gonzalez had a successful career in small, then medium sized Bodegas, working with quality wines and building sales, especially exports (he is fluent in English and speaks several other languages). He was comfortable in the role of turnaround artist and an offer of equity made up for a small salary.

Vineyards

The family vineyards had also dwindled, but they retained good parcels of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah in the productive Eastern district. Other lesser vineyards were sold. The proceeds were used to sign long term contracts with four other growers, owning 296 acres between them. Fine Cabernet, Chardonnay and Merlot come from Tupungato in Valle de Uco, Mendoza’s best district southwest of the city. More Malbec comes from Maipu. The plan is to expand vineyard resources through contracts in the high quality Central and Valle de Uco regions.

Winery

It is large, old, well maintained, and like many Bodegas right on the outskirts of Mendoza. Before the decline, it was busy and full. Today they bottle 80,000 cases of their own wines under four different labels.

Daniel Gonzalez has made good use of the large facility by opening a custom crush business, making and bottling wines for several dozen growers who do not have their own facilities. This is a work in progress. I found it disorienting to taste wines but not know the prices, or sometimes even if they were for sale!

Primacia

Half of the bottled production is sold under the ‘Grand Bouquet’ label, inexpensive wines for the home market. 15% of the wines are oak-aged and bottled as ‘Cavas de Conde’ and ‘Piedra de Molino’.

What interests us is the 1/3 of production bottled as Primacia. These are unoaked wines bottled young. Contracted vineyards in the Valle de Uco and the Central region have reasonably low yields (less than 4 tons/acre), with correspondingly good color and extract. Good winemaking and low costs (no barrels, early bottling) gives us good wines at really good prices.

Cavas de Conde is one or Argentina’s grand old names. Daniel Gonzalez is restoring the lustre.

The Wines

(Only those imported are listed.)

Malbec/Cabernet This is an 80/20 blend; half of the Malbec is Estate, the other half from Lujan de Cuyo. The Cabernet comes from Tupungato. Ripe and briary, there is lots of fruit and good density at a sensible price.

Merlot Pure Tupungato fruit, it has classic plummy Merlot aromas and flavors in a medium-bodied, soft format.

Syrah This is a brawny but polite version from Maipu with a hint of pepper and more than a hint of fruit.