Sunday, July 20, 2025 white wine review is an excellent, high-altitude, and single vineyard Torrontés from the Cafayate Valley in Salta, Argentina, that arrived at the LCBO earlier this month in the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.
Established in 2000 by the Romero Marcuzzi family, Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate is one of the benchmark wineries in the high-altitude Cafayate Valley wine region of Argentina. While El Porvenir is relatively new, its roots go back to the 1970s as the first winery was located in Tolombón, a few miles outside Cafayate.
The name 'El Porvenir' means 'future' and embodies the paradigm of Cafayate wine - the fusion between permanent innovation and great respect for the identity and unmistakable character of the Cafayate terroir. El Porvenir is part of a generation of wineries that emerged at the end of the 20th century with the transformation of the Argentine wine industry, the reconversion of Salta's viticulture and the projection of Cafayate wines to the world.
Since 2013, El Porvenir has been led by Lucía Romero Marcuzzi, a vintner, entrepreneur, mother, and third-generation vineyard owner who was born and raised in Salta and took her first steps at her grandfather's finca. With Lucia's hands-on approach, this female-led, family-run project is rewriting the legend of Cafayate. The philosophy at El Porvenir is based on a deep respect and love for their terroir in Cafayate, and is reflected in the wines.
Cafayete is a small, isolated, and elevated valley known for its stunning red rock formations. It is located 180 km (111 miles) south of the city of Salta and features a unique terroir that ensures high-quality and healthy grapes. The Cafayete Valley has an extreme desert climate, along with poor soils, warm days and cool nights, very little rainfall, and plentiful sunlight, all of which, when combined, allow El Porvenir to practice integrated, sustainable, and organic viticulture at high-altitudes between 1,750 and 2,500 metres above sea level. Furthermore, because these vineyards are among the highest in the world, the height and thermal amplitude (i.e. diurnal temperature range) are the elements that significantly influence the growth of the vine and impart unique characteristics to the grapes.
Like the previous vintage, this white wine is crafted with 100% Torrontés that was grown at El Porvenir's oldest vineyard - Finca El Retiro. The vineyard is located at the high-altitude of 1,650 metres above sea level in the Cafayate Valley, Salta, and first planted in 1945 uses both pergola and parral vine-training techniques. Harvest was carried out manually over three periods - the first week of February, and the first and last weeks of March - in order to obtain different layers of complexity. The clusters of grapes were harvested, placed into 20 kg bins, and brought to the winery for cluster selection. It was vinified by whole-cluster pressing and underwent alcoholic fermentation using selected yeasts for 30 days at relatively cool temperatures between 11°C and 13°C. The wine was aged on its fine lees for 3 months, then underwent débourbage (clarifying) and final blending in September prior to bottling.
I enjoyed the 2022 Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate Laborum Finca El Retiro Torrontés about 18 months ago, and I am expecting this vintage to be even better. The 2023 growing season in Argentina was a bit of a rollercoaster, with recent years influenced by La Niña leaving the country in an unnatural state of drought, as well as being influenced by the southern pole. After devastating spring frosts during budburst, which cut yields in some parts of the country, the season settled into warm, dry days, with summer being one of the hottest and driest in years, which resulted in the grapes ripening quickly. Vineyards at high altitudes (such as those in Salta) benefited from high diurnal temperature variation, which helped retain acidity and aromatics. Due to the heat, the resulting harvest was a little earlier than normal. From what is considered to be an excellent vintage for high-altitude white wines, let's see how this 2023 Torrontés from the Cafayate Valley in Salta is tasting tonight...
Screw cap. Delicately lifted and fresh, the medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers green herbs, ripe kaffir lime citrus, and lemongrass aromas nuanced with hints of tropical fruit, guava, blossom, and pithy fruit, with touches of leesy minerality. The medium+ to medium-full bodied palate shows impressive weight, concentration, and structure in a tangy flavour profile of ripe lime citrus, green herbs, lemongrass, and tropical fruit flavours, plus some peppery spice and leesy notes. It has crisp, juicy, and well-structured acidity. Leesy minerals carry you through to the long, savoury finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts
Other lovely wines by Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate can be ordered through their Agent - Eurovintage Wines & Spirits.
Established in 2000 by the Romero Marcuzzi family, Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate is one of the benchmark wineries in the high-altitude Cafayate Valley wine region of Argentina. While El Porvenir is relatively new, its roots go back to the 1970s as the first winery was located in Tolombón, a few miles outside Cafayate.
The name 'El Porvenir' means 'future' and embodies the paradigm of Cafayate wine - the fusion between permanent innovation and great respect for the identity and unmistakable character of the Cafayate terroir. El Porvenir is part of a generation of wineries that emerged at the end of the 20th century with the transformation of the Argentine wine industry, the reconversion of Salta's viticulture and the projection of Cafayate wines to the world.
Since 2013, El Porvenir has been led by Lucía Romero Marcuzzi, a vintner, entrepreneur, mother, and third-generation vineyard owner who was born and raised in Salta and took her first steps at her grandfather's finca. With Lucia's hands-on approach, this female-led, family-run project is rewriting the legend of Cafayate. The philosophy at El Porvenir is based on a deep respect and love for their terroir in Cafayate, and is reflected in the wines.
Cafayete is a small, isolated, and elevated valley known for its stunning red rock formations. It is located 180 km (111 miles) south of the city of Salta and features a unique terroir that ensures high-quality and healthy grapes. The Cafayete Valley has an extreme desert climate, along with poor soils, warm days and cool nights, very little rainfall, and plentiful sunlight, all of which, when combined, allow El Porvenir to practice integrated, sustainable, and organic viticulture at high-altitudes between 1,750 and 2,500 metres above sea level. Furthermore, because these vineyards are among the highest in the world, the height and thermal amplitude (i.e. diurnal temperature range) are the elements that significantly influence the growth of the vine and impart unique characteristics to the grapes.
Like the previous vintage, this white wine is crafted with 100% Torrontés that was grown at El Porvenir's oldest vineyard - Finca El Retiro. The vineyard is located at the high-altitude of 1,650 metres above sea level in the Cafayate Valley, Salta, and first planted in 1945 uses both pergola and parral vine-training techniques. Harvest was carried out manually over three periods - the first week of February, and the first and last weeks of March - in order to obtain different layers of complexity. The clusters of grapes were harvested, placed into 20 kg bins, and brought to the winery for cluster selection. It was vinified by whole-cluster pressing and underwent alcoholic fermentation using selected yeasts for 30 days at relatively cool temperatures between 11°C and 13°C. The wine was aged on its fine lees for 3 months, then underwent débourbage (clarifying) and final blending in September prior to bottling.
I enjoyed the 2022 Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate Laborum Finca El Retiro Torrontés about 18 months ago, and I am expecting this vintage to be even better. The 2023 growing season in Argentina was a bit of a rollercoaster, with recent years influenced by La Niña leaving the country in an unnatural state of drought, as well as being influenced by the southern pole. After devastating spring frosts during budburst, which cut yields in some parts of the country, the season settled into warm, dry days, with summer being one of the hottest and driest in years, which resulted in the grapes ripening quickly. Vineyards at high altitudes (such as those in Salta) benefited from high diurnal temperature variation, which helped retain acidity and aromatics. Due to the heat, the resulting harvest was a little earlier than normal. From what is considered to be an excellent vintage for high-altitude white wines, let's see how this 2023 Torrontés from the Cafayate Valley in Salta is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
BODEGA EL PORVENIR DE CAFAYATE LABORUM FINCA EL RETIRO TORRONTÉS 2023 - Valle de Cafayate, Salta, Argentina (#489179) (XD) - $19.95Screw cap. Delicately lifted and fresh, the medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers green herbs, ripe kaffir lime citrus, and lemongrass aromas nuanced with hints of tropical fruit, guava, blossom, and pithy fruit, with touches of leesy minerality. The medium+ to medium-full bodied palate shows impressive weight, concentration, and structure in a tangy flavour profile of ripe lime citrus, green herbs, lemongrass, and tropical fruit flavours, plus some peppery spice and leesy notes. It has crisp, juicy, and well-structured acidity. Leesy minerals carry you through to the long, savoury finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts
Other lovely wines by Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate can be ordered through their Agent - Eurovintage Wines & Spirits.
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