A heated tent was not the only treat that greeted us, the Qaramy wines were paired with a delectable asado lunch! Leonardo Bromber and his father founded Qaramy in 2005 to make wines that reflect the Uco Valley terroir and give the wines a sense of place and character, specific to Mendoza, Argentina. Produced in really small quantities we were very honored to participate in such a special tasting.
The first wine we tasted was the 2005 Pachuahasi, meaning temple of time, a blend of 61% Malbec, 23% Cabernet, 16% Syrah. Lush and inviting, it was the perfect complement for a delicious lunch. While tasting the savory asado, we tried the 2005 Qaramy Alto, of the same blend, was inky burgundy in color with intense flavors of plum, cherry, cola, mocha and spice. This wine comes from a different vineyard on their property from the Pachuahasi and is aged in new French barrels for 14 months, giving it integrated oak tannin flavors.
Their consulting winemaker, Rolando Lazzorotti, makes wine for several projects in Mendoza and Chile and is excited about the possibilities of the Uco Valley terroir expression on such a small scale. All of the varietals are aged separately in barrel and then are blended at the end.
It was an amazing day with the Brombers and the Qaramy crew, drinking beautifully crafted wines, indulging in a tasty asado and walking in picturesque vineyards under a stormy winter sky. You can sense the passion that infuses this project from the family, the winemaker, and the entire team. The Vines of Mendoza’s staff has such an overwhelming experience that we are so pleased to profile both of these wines in our next Acequia Wine Club shipment in September to share the Uco valley experience and these delicious blends. Salud!