Norton Finca La Colonia Merlot 2024
Intense cherry and raspberry aromas, with hints of violets and eucalyptus. Elegant, well-balanced structure and a pleasant finish.
Norton has 680 hectares of vineyard in production, minutely mapped and divided into parcels so that the individual varieties, clones and training methods suit the soil in each. Minimal treatments are used in the vineyards, which are run along virtually organic lines. All the grapes are hand picked.
The wine underwent fermentation with native yeasts for seven days at 25°C, followed by a 100% natural malolactic fermentation.
| RRP | £13.25 |
| Vintage | 2024 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.5% |
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Mendoza |
| Grapes | Merlot 100% |
| Body | C/D |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Screwcap |
In 1885, the Buenos Aires to Mendoza railway opened, cementing the significance of this emerging wine-growing region high in the Andean foothills. One visitor to Mendoza, an English engineer called Edmund Norton, was so struck by the beauty and potential he saw there that he established a winery bearing his name, and in 1895 planted the first vines in Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo district.
Almost a century later, Gernot Langes-Swarovski was similarly struck by Mendoza and its vineyards; in 1989, he acquired Bodega Norton and set about transforming it into the world-renowned winery it is today. Both men rightly recognized the special nature of the area. At 900-1100 metres, the altitude moderates the temperature while exposing the vines to more ultraviolet light. The result is whites packed with vibrant flavour and good natural acidity, and well-structured, food-friendly reds.
