Argentinian winery, Bodega Otronia continues to break the mould with its extreme winemaking terroir and distinctive wines in the Chubut province on the shores of Lake Musters in the heart of the Patagonian desert.
Not only is Otronia the southernmost commercial vineyard and winery in the world, it is also situated at an impressive 45 ’33’ LS, making it one the coldest areas in the world for vine cultivation. And now, Otronia has become the first winery to make ice wine in South America with the memorable 2024 vintage.
‘Ice wine was in all of our minds from the beginning, knowing we were in the southernmost vineyard in the world,’ explains winemaker Juan Pablo Murgia. ‘But we never had an autumn with low enough minimum temperatures that remained constantly below -8C.’
Otronia has become the first winery to make ice wine in South America.
Perfect conditions
The 2024 vintage, however, offered the perfect combination of a good ripening season and a very cold autumn. It was the first vintage to see a significant autumn frost that Murgia and his team could work with — in order to make the ice wine they had dreamed of ever since their first vintage in 2017.
‘I had saved a couple of blocks of Gewürztraminer with some Chardonnay for a late harvest wine, but in the end we were able to harvest perfectly frozen grapes,’ says Murgia. ‘The harvest was very interesting — all the flavours, sugar and acidity are extremely concentrated.’
The wine is still fermenting in the tanks, due to the incredibly high concentration of sugar, and Murgia estimates it will take a year to complete fermentation. Although Argentina’s first ice wine will not hit the market for some time, Otronia already has a host of other extreme wines on release that defy the odds.
Bodega Otronia’s Paico Vineyard on the shores of Lake Musters.
Traditional-method sparkling wines
One of the newest releases on the UK market is Otronia’s duo of traditional-method sparkling wines. Otronia’s Brut and Brut Rosé have been awarded numerous international accolades, including the Brut earning 94 points and a Silver medal at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. Produced from 100% Chardonnay, the DWWA judges praised the wine for its ‘Complex yeasty character with notes of saffron, honey and buttery nuances. Creamy on the palate, showing tension and vibrant fruit.’
Winemaker Juan Pablo Murgia (pictured) was focused on making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines but has been surprised by how well Malbec works in Otronia’s cool climate.
Surprising reds
While making excellent sparkling wine, and even ice wine, was always the intended direction for this extreme vineyard, the ability to ripen red grapes at such a latitude has been a revelation, especially when winds here can reach over 100 km/hour. Pinot Noir was a natural choice, but it is the new Merlot and Malbec that are turning heads.
‘The Merlot has been a real surprise — very expressive and fresh, with a great cool climate definition,’ adds Murgia. ‘Malbec was not a variety we were particularly expecting to work in this climate — we were focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — but we planted a small amount to try, and it gives us a really special expression with beautiful red fruit, great tension and nerve.’
Murgia’s team’s study and understanding of the land has allowed Otronia to produce distinctive wines that express the extreme climate and identity of this outlying region, as it continues to push what’s achievable at the edge of impossible.
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