The wine directory – Lafite Rothschild

The vintage

A particularly harsh winter in the foothills of the Andes Cordillera was followed by a sunny spring, enabling budding and flowering to take place as usual.
However, the night of 13 October 2017 brought a dramatic fall in temperatures, affecting the setting of the fruit in some plots, and resulting in a smaller number of berries in the bunches. Fortunately, fine weather predominated for the rest of the season, with not much rain and a completely dry March.
These conditions, typical of the Mendoza region, with dry, sunny days and a particularly pronounced difference in 2018 between day and night-time temperatures, enabled the grapes and tannins to ripen slowly and steadily, while preserving a superb freshness. On 25 March 2018, temperatures fell once again in our high-altitude vineyard, but the vines coped well with the colder weather and ripening continued without any problems, resulting in one of the best harvests of this decade.

Location

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 above sea level, Mendoza's vineyards are known as the highest in the world.

Terroir

Sheltered from the rain by the mountains to the West and the Pampa to the East, the region is very arid. Mendoza wines draw their character from an exceptionnal sun exposure and wide temperature variatons between night and day.
Aruma means the night in the language of the Quechua. This name expresses the intense darkness of the Andean nights and the depth of colour that characterises the robe of the Malbec.

Winemaking

Grapes are harvested by hand, carefully selected, destemmed and crushed before being placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation. A traditional winemaking process ensues with pump-over and delestage. Total maceration time lasts from 12 to 15 days.
Aruma is aged in tanks in order to preserve its fruit-driven style and allow the varietal characteristic of the Malbec to come through.

Grapes

100 %

Malbec

Tasting

The robe is deep red with hints of violet. The nose reveals aromas of plum and red fruit.
The palate is fresh and elegant, with remarkable balance between tannins, acidity and alcohol. Long, delicate finish.