| Region of production: | Mendoza IG |
| Winery Location: | Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza |
| Year Established: | 1895 |
Vineyard Holdings
670 ha
- Lunlunta (20 ha): Lunlunta IG. Malbec, including vines dating back to the 1920s, on a mixture of rocky, sandy, and silt alluvial soils at 850 meters in elevation.
- Agrelo (30 ha): Agrelo IG. Predominately Malbec, on alluvial soils at 950 meters in elevation.
- Perdriel (100 ha): Luján de Cuyo IG. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, among other grapes, at 950 meters in elevation.
- La Colonia (450 ha): Agrelo IG. Sandy and stony alluvial soils. 1,100 meters in elevation.
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Gernot Langes (Luján de Cuyo IG): 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc from the estate’s oldest vines. Aged 16 months in new French oak barrels.
- Lote Negro (Valle de Uco IG): 65% Malbec and 35% Cabernet Franc. Aged 16 months in new French oak barrels.
- Lote Malbec Single Vineyard Lunlunta (Lunlunta IG): 100% Malbec.
- Lote Malbec Single Vineyard La Colonia (La Colonia, Agrelo IG): 100% Malbec.
- Lote Malbec Single Vineyard Agrelo (Agrelo IG): 100% Malbec. Aged 16 months in French oak barrels.
- Malbec D.O.C. (Luján de Cuyo DOC, Luján de Cuyo IG): 100% Malbec. Aged 12 months in French oak barrels.
Average Total Production
- About 12,000,000 bottles
Summary
Bodega Norton was founded by Edmund James Palmer Norton, an English engineer who helped construct the railroad between Argentina and Chile. During the project, Norton found inspiration in Mendoza, and he established his winery with imported French vine cuttings. The winery building, erected in 1919, remains in use today. In 1989, Austrian Gernot Langes-Swarovski, of Swarovski crystals, acquired Bodega Norton. Under Swarovski’s tenure, along with his son Michael Halstrick and winemaker Jorge Riccitelli, Norton expanded its holdings and presence on the export market. In 1997, Norton purchased the 1,045-hectare Finca La Colonia in Agrelo. Halstrick serves as CEO today, with David Bonomi as winemaker.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Norton uses a combination of indigenous and cultured yeasts. Many of the top wines experience a cold maceration prior to fermentation, as well as extended maceration for 25 to 30 days following fermentation. The wines are aged in French oak barrels of various ages, before several months of bottle aging before release.
Producer Website: Norton