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Finca Decero

The Owl & The Dust Devil Cabernet 2020

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Named for the owls that keep watch over the Remolinos Vineyard and the dust devil whirlwinds that form along its paths each afternoon, this is Finca Decero’s expressive, terroir-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourced entirely from the estate’s single vineyard at 3,500 feet in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, the wine reflects the altitude’s dual gift of natural acidity and phenolic intensity. The vineyard’s unique convergence of alluvial and colluvial soils, threaded with dissolved calcium carbonate, delivers the hallmark silky texture for which Decero is renowned. Classic in character, it shows cassis, red fruit and cedar with supple tannins and a long, structured finish.

VINEYARD

Sourced entirely from the Remolinos Vineyard at 3,500 feet in the highest reaches of the Agrelo sub-appellation, this is a wine of singular origin. The vines are planted on gravel-rich alluvial soils and farmed with meticulous attention — leaf plucking on the east-facing canopy and cluster thinning to one to two clusters per shoot ensure every bunch receives maximum focus and ripeness. The grapes are handpicked into small boxes, preserving the integrity of each berry from vine to cellar.

WINEMAKING

Grapes undergo Finca Decero's four-step selection process, sorted berry by berry before moving by gravity feed into small fermentation tanks. A seven-day cold soak precedes ten days of fermentation in small stainless steel tanks at 82 to 86°F. The parcels then benefit from 18 days of extended maceration post-fermentation before being transferred to small French oak barrels, 30% new, for 14 months of maturation. The wine is bottled in a single session to safeguard consistency from bottle to bottle.

VINTAGE

A dry winter gave way to warm, dry conditions through the growing season, delivering extremely healthy grapes with excellent phenolic ripeness. A spring frost diminished the overall crop in some areas, but the warm, consistent summer more than compensated in terms of quality. The wines show a richer concentration than previous vintages while maintaining good balance between body and structure. Provided producers picked at the right time, both reds and whites performed well, with reds being particularly structured, concentrated and admirably fresh.

TASTING NOTE

This wine stands out for its spicy character, with notes of pepper, red bell pepper, and red fruits. Its fresh, balanced acidity is complemented by smooth, integrated tannins, a medium body, and an elegant style.

FOOD PAIRING

Braised or grilled meats, aubergine

Color

Red

Blend %

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Reviews

90

Wine Enthusiast - Text to follow April 2025

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Syrah

Mendoza

Finca Decero Syrah displays red fruit flavours, spices and mineral notes. A medium bodied wine which shows bright acidity, smooth tannins and a long finish. The wine has spent 14 months in French oak barrels which has further contributed to its textural complexity.

Mini Ediciones Tannat

Mendoza

A single-varietal Tannat from Finca Decero's limited Mini Ediciones range. Grown at 3,500ft in Agrelo, it delivers deep, firm structure with blackberry, coffee and leather.

The Owl & The Dust Devil Malbec

Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a single varietal Malbec which exhibits richness of fruit in the mid palate whilst maintaining an overall elegance in style which is the hallmark of its origin, the high altitude Remolinos Vineyard.

Mini Ediciones Cabernet Franc

Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

Finca Decero's Mini Ediciones Cabernet Franc is one of the winery's three "rare varieties & limited edition" wines. The wine shows nuances of bell pepper, graphite and plum notes with fresh aromatics and taunt acidity resulting in a well-structured Cabernet Franc with great potential for aging.

Malbec

A core intensity of red fruit flavors and lifted violet aromas remain the signature of Malbec from the estate’s Remolinos Vineyard. This is exquisitely balanced by freshness of acidity and an elegant integration of French oak which adds complexity to the rich mid palate.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Agrelo is recognized for red varieties and while it has been acknowledged for its high-quality Malbec it has also become known as the source of some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon emanating from Argentina. The wine has a beautiful, full-bodied structure that comes across effortlessly due to the hallmark Decero refinement.

Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot

As the name suggests, Mini Ediciones are highly limited parcels of wine. From lesser known varieties, these wines are wholly expressive of the Remolinos Vineyard and represent an opportunity to taste a variety rarely seen in a pure form. In 2006, in recognition of its unique potential from the coarse, low vigor soils of our Remolinos Vineyard, the winery first selected a few exceptional barrels of wine to make a well-deserved Decero Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot.

Amano

Decero Amano takes its name from the “Amano” or “by hand” approach. As the pinnacle of the winery's achievements each vintage, Decero Amano is a blend of the most distinctive parcels from the Remolinos Vineyard. The wine is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat: violet aromas emanate from the Malbec, red fruit flavors and structure of the Cabernet gives excellent length, while the jasmine perfumed Petit Verdot brings firm tannins as does the Tannat, which adds even more textural complexity.

The Owl & The Dust Devil Icon Blend

The Owl & The Dust Devil Icon Blend represents the wild side of Finca Decero, an exceptionally expressive and intense red blend that has as its core some of the specialties of Finca Decero. Its impact on the palate is matched by its groundbreaking Virtual Reality packaging.