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Finca Decero

Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

Finca Decero has become recognized not only for having one of the highest quality vineyards in all of Mendoza, but also for catapulting into an elite group of the most highly regarded producers in Argentina. The wines all come from the single Finca Decero vineyard, and the winery’s focus is entirely quality focused – the varietal Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignons they produce can easily be compared to wines selling for twice the price. These are serious wines that moreover showcase the best of Argentina: a beautiful mix of purity and elegance.

Born of the world-class vision of Swiss owner Thomas Schmidheiny, Finca Decero is an acclaimed wine estate and the location of the one-of-a-kind Remolinos vineyard (named after the tiny whirlwinds in the area that thread their way along the vines, keeping the grapes dry and in perfect condition) in Agrelo, Mendoza. In 2000, the decision was taken to start “from scratch” (as Decero means). Unencumbered by history, by starting with a blank canvas Finca Decero was able to make critical early decisions which crafted a clear path towards establishing an exceptional wine estate.

First and foremost was the carefully considered site selection of virgin land in the highest part of Agrelo. At an altitude of 3500ft, this land was chosen for its pristine water quality of glacial meltwater from an underlying aquifer and a unique tapestry of soils unmatched in the surrounding area. In these early days, experts extensively analyzed the environment both below and above ground and consequentially made variety and clone selection specifically suited to areas within the vineyard. The estate has followed an ‘amano’, or ‘by hand’, approach with the vineyards planted in a row direction of NNW/SSE, allowing for optimal sunlight exposure. Recognizing the natural environment, both hail protection and drip irrigation were installed to protect and nurture the vines in the most sustainable, sensitive way. Lastly, allowing for three years of natural growth, supported by sensory analysis, prior to commercial release helped understand further nuances of the Remolinos Vineyard. From the onset, these decisions proved worthwhile as the first vintage, in 2006, became award-winning. All the Decero wines come from the Remolinos single vineyard, all from hand-picked fruit.

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The Owl & The Dust Devil Cabernet Sauvignon

Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

The Owl & The Dust Devil Malbec

Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a single varietal Malbec which exhibits richness of fruit in the mid palate whilst maintaining an overall elegance in style which is the hallmark of its origin, the high altitude Remolinos Vineyard.

Mini Ediciones Cabernet Franc

Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

Finca Decero's Mini Ediciones Cabernet Franc is one of the winery's three "rare varieties & limited edition" wines. The wine shows nuances of bell pepper, graphite and plum notes with fresh aromatics and taunt acidity resulting in a well-structured Cabernet Franc with great potential for aging.

Malbec

A core intensity of red fruit flavors and lifted violet aromas remain the signature of Malbec from the estate’s Remolinos Vineyard. This is exquisitely balanced by freshness of acidity and an elegant integration of French oak which adds complexity to the rich mid palate.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Agrelo is recognized for red varieties and while it has been acknowledged for its high-quality Malbec it has also become known as the source of some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon emanating from Argentina. The wine has a beautiful, full-bodied structure that comes across effortlessly due to the hallmark Decero refinement.

Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot

As the name suggests, Mini Ediciones are highly limited parcels of wine. From lesser known varieties, these wines are wholly expressive of the Remolinos Vineyard and represent an opportunity to taste a variety rarely seen in a pure form. In 2006, in recognition of its unique potential from the coarse, low vigor soils of our Remolinos Vineyard, the winery first selected a few exceptional barrels of wine to make a well-deserved Decero Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot.

Amano

Decero Amano takes its name from the “Amano” or “by hand” approach. As the pinnacle of the winery's achievements each vintage, Decero Amano is a blend of the most distinctive parcels from the Remolinos Vineyard. The wine is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat: violet aromas emanate from the Malbec, red fruit flavors and structure of the Cabernet gives excellent length, while the jasmine perfumed Petit Verdot brings firm tannins as does the Tannat, which adds even more textural complexity.

The Owl & The Dust Devil Icon Blend

The Owl & The Dust Devil Icon Blend represents the wild side of Finca Decero, an exceptionally expressive and intense red blend that has as its core some of the specialties of Finca Decero. Its impact on the palate is matched by its groundbreaking Virtual Reality packaging.

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    94

    Amano 2014: “A pure, elegant, incredibly balanced profile”

    - The flagship cuvée is the 2014 Amano, comprised of 66% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot and Tannat, all from the Remolinos Vineyard and aged in new French oak. It has classic Malbec blue fruits as well as terrific minerality, notes of violets and peppery herbs, full-bodied richness, and a pure, elegant, incredibly balanced profile. This tour de force in Argentina Malbec should be snatched up by readers. It can be drunk today or cellaring for 7-8 years.

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People

Juan Marcó

Having studied as an agricultural engineer in Mendoza, Juan’s international outlook soon led him to complement his first degree with a Master of Science from UC Davis. After working in California for 5 years, Juan finally returned to his hometown of Mendoza in 2004.

With extensive management experience in winemaking, Juan joined Finca Decero as CEO & Head Winemaker in 2007 embracing owner Thomas Schmidheiny’s vision for a sustainably farmed, world-class estate which is immaculately managed by hand from vine to barrel. As CEO & Winemaker and with a background in viticulture and winemaking, Juan oversees the production and the fine quality of Decero wines.

Juan’s affinity with Thomas’ vision goes beyond the everyday of Finca Decero. Juan sees an opportunity and the freedom to balance a social, climate and economic agenda to benefit the community. As such, throughout his time as CEO he has managed a business social responsibility program which has been instrumental in improving the education, health and welfare of the local community.

Stephanie Morton-Small

Experiencing wine at some of the greatest estates of France during time spent in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Aix-en-Provence was the seed from which Stephanie’s career in wine grew. After graduating from University of London, time in the UK wine trade was fast followed by nearly a decade in international sales and marketing roles based in Australia and further consolidated by an MBA.

Having been a Director of a group of some of the finest and well-established wineries in Australia, Stephanie was attracted to moving away from the “established” to start something “from scratch”. The long-term vision of Thomas Schmidheiny and the quality of every aspect of Finca Decero, from the ground up, formed a unique attraction which caused Stephanie to move to Argentina in 2007.

As Finca Decero’s Chief Commercial Officer, Stephanie manages the full commercial side of Finca Decero and has consistently managed the business from start-up development, launch, to ongoing sales and marketing of all Finca Decero’s wines including the most recent fly-away success of ‘The Owl & The Dust Devil’. Through an exceptional network of importer and agency partners and having attracted an array of fine restaurants where most of the wines are sold, Finca Decero enjoys a positioning aligned with Thomas Schmidheiny’s vision for a world class wine estate of Argentina.

Matias Cano

Born and bred in Mendoza, or “de pura cepa” as Matias likes to say; his father a respected winemaker of Mendoza and his brother also a viticulturist, Matias has soil in his hands and wine running through his veins. Having studied at the University Nacional de Cuyo renown for Agronomy, Matias has come to know Mendoza soils and especially Agrelo intimately and as such is amongst the most respected viticulturists of Mendoza.

Matias aspired to join Finca Decero for the perfect location at the highest area in Agrelo, for the opportunity to nurture varieties all uniquely suited to the site ranging from Malbec and Cabernet to the less common Tannat and Petit Verdot. Knowing that every single each grape undergoes the highest quality selection to get into any Decero wine, Matias relishes the challenge knowing the care and attention required by him and his team every single day.

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