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LORENA MULET,
THE WINEMAKER
AT CRUZAT
In 2011, Pedro Rosell asked Lorena Mulet, one of his students at the Faculty of
Agronomy, to join the winemaking team. Today Mulet is not only in charge of all
the wines, she is also one of the most recognised and respected winemakers in
the Argentinian wine industry, especially for her knowledge of sparkling wines.
“At Cruzat, using the traditional method, we seek to produce sparkling wines
with a special style characterised by a fine, elegant, articulate bouquet. The wines
combine tradition with knowledge and technology”, explains Mulet. Cruzat
markets high-end, internationally-awarded sparkling wines, such as Millésime,
the winery’s icon, the single-vineyard Finca la Dama and Cruzat Orgánico, and
the Cruzat Cuvée and Premier Lines, which spend 24 and 12 months on the lees
respectively.
New releases and innovations include Cruzat Pet Nat – made using the ancestral
method – Cruzat Naranjo, the first orange sparkling wine on the market; Cruzat
Cosecha Temprana, which is low in alcohol and calories; and Cruzat ICE, designed
to be drunk with ice. All the wines are vegan and certified by LIAF.
Also, inspired by the traditional liqueur made by the great French Champagne
producers, Cruzat produces a Ratafia at the end of each vintage. It is unique in the
Argentinian market and took several years of trial and research. For the Pinot Noir
Ratafia, the base wine was previously macerated with nuts, such as walnuts and
hazelnuts, and matured in lightly toasted French oak. For the Ratafia Chardonnay,
the base wine was macerated with orange and lime peel. The process culminates
with distillation in copper stills. Cruzat products are marketed throughout Argentina
and exported to 15 countries, including the United States, Chile, Switzerland,
Australia, Peru, the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan.
88 SPRING 2024 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE