GG_N54_FR-web

ARGENTINA
GRAPE
FAMILIA CROTTA: A FAMILY WITH A 90-YEAR HISTORY IN ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY
“Out of our total production, Malbec represents 35%,
because we also grow Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Torrontés, Syrah, Chenin
Blanc and Moscatel”, explains Mario Bartolucci, the
company’s export manager. Bartolucci has been
working hard for years to open up foreign markets
– Familia Crotta is a strong player in Argentina’s
domestic market, where it sells 70% of its production.
“Malbec is our flagship and is always the most
requested varietal by buyers, which is an advantage
because, we take advantage of it to introduce
other varieties”, he explains. “It is a very natural and
noble varietal, which has found in Mendoza a perfect
terroir to express itself. From a winemaking perspective,
it is versatile and allows us to make wines
that can be young or show great concentration”.
Familia Crotta markets Malbec across its lines and
ships them to 18 foreign markets where it already
has a presence. The young varietal range features
a single varietal Malbec under the Crotta brand;
Com1enzos line contains a blend of 50% Malbec and
50% Bonarda; there is a Malbec partially aged in oak
barrels, and the Gran Reserva Malbec Familia Crotta,
matured for 12 months in oak barrels. “Malbec is
therefore present in each line and expresses its different
qualities”, concludes Bartolucci.
FAMILIA CROTTA OWNS ALMOST 400 HECTARES OF VINEYARDS
TIERRA FÉRTIL: MALBEC AS AN
IDENTITY
Taking advantage of his foreign trade skills, Bartolucci
is also developing Tierra Fértil, his own project
with a strong export focus. “For our family, Malbec
forges an identity, so we make a Malbec in each line,
all with grapes from different areas of the Uco Valley.
Out of our total production, 70% is Malbec and the
remaining 30% is Chardonnay”, he says.
Tierra Fértil’s export focus is borne out by the
fact that exports represent 90% of total sales. The
company currently has a presence in Brazil, Panama
and Poland, and is working on the development of
markets such as the United States, Canada, the
United Kingdom and China.
“Malbec is our flagship globally, and in most countries
it is the wine that facilitates penetration of
96 WINTER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE