San Pedro de Yacochuya 2006

The best wine should always be in the pursuit of aesthetics, and therefore, a work of art. «Wine is meant to be enjoyed. If wine does not give pleasure, then why make it?» This principle is espoused by Arnaldo Echart, who created San Pedro de Yacochuya, a masterpiece of Argentinian wine, in collaboration with renowned enologist Michel Rolland.

San Pedro de Yacochuya, Cafayate (Salta, Argentina), 2006. This wine was painted by skilled impressionist winemakers.

Grapes: 85% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon

«Shcha-ko-choo-shcha» wine… What a bizarre and not at all European sounding name! Or «Zha-ko-choo-zha»… as they would pronounce it in Spain… «Yaco» in Quechua means «water,» and «chuya» means «light.» Perhaps, the saying that wine should be washed down with a woman’s kiss was conceived by the Argentinians when they first tried this deep and refined wine?

Undoubtedly, the success of this wine has been phenomenal thanks to the famous Michel Rolland. Bowing before the master, we must also note that «Yacochuya» is an unusual wine for him, which is particularly evident from the 2006 harvest. This is a wine «challenge,» and it seems that poets and artists are more attuned to perceive it than critics. Perhaps this is why the wine is unlikely to ever receive a rating higher than 95 points, but it will always stay a great success with connoisseurs of beauty.

This wine cannot be perceived outside of its historical and cultural context. Winemaker Arnaldo Echart has wanted to create a full-fledged work of art ever since he founded the Yacochuya winery in a region of extremely high-altitude for winemaking, near the city of Cafayate in the province of Salta back in the early nineties.

When embracing this wine, it is almost as if you’re dancing the tango with it, or plunging deep into the Borges, or wandering the old Native American Salta trails shoulder to shoulder with Che…

Arnaldo Echart’s wines are live guides into the world of Argentina’s taste. It is a wine with subtext inspired by the best images of Argentinian culture. We suggest enjoying this wine to «Nuevo tango» by Astor Piazzolla. Or perhaps, you prefer traveling through the fantastic worlds of Jorge Luis Borges. However, it is difficult to call the latter an excellent connoisseur of wine, although this has not stopped him from admiring this wonderful drink. «His muse did not live in wine, but Borges has one remarkable sonnet, in which all the writer’s wisdom is revealed. This is a sonnet dedicated to wine,» says senor Arnaldo.

Rating

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate: 94/100
Code de Vino: 96/100