Bodega Cerro del Toro is located in a natural environment of mountains and sea, located in the southeast of Uruguay, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Climate, soil, topography, native vegetation and landscape are the main actors of a unique place.
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The area of Maldonado has had a frenetic growth in the second decade of the new millennium, with local and foreign investment. This development made the area of Maldonado to be the one with the most growth in vineyard area in recent years in the country, generating national and international attention.
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A
VINEYARD
WITH BALCONY
OVER THE ATLANTIC.
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The vineyard began to be planted in the spring of 2016, with national and imported material.
Two thirds are occupied by red varieties and the rest by white. Half of the area is made up of Tannat (the main variety), Merlot and Albariño. The latter is what Bodega Cerro del Toro is most known for.
The rest of the reds are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Gamaret and Lacrima Christi. And to complete the whites, Chardonnay, Viognier and Pinot Grigio.
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We have a total of 28 hectares planted of vine, on a property that consists of 800 hectares of land
The climate of Uruguay is defined by its latitude and its geographical location in relation to the Atlantic Ocean, and by regional atmospheric circulation. Its proximity to the sea contributes to thermal changes and provides atmospheric humidity. Although the oceanic influence is felt throughout the territory. It’s effect is more intense on the coast of the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean due to the immediate vicinity of a large sea of water. The vineyard of Bodega Cerro del Toro is located at an average distance of 2 kilometres in a straight line from the beaches of Piriápolis.
The lowest temperatures are found in the south of the country, on the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean, and the highest in the north. The thermal difference in the territory is more accentuated in the summer due to marine influence, particularly on the Atlantic coast, and manifests itself in the reduction of extreme temperatures.
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CLIMATE
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At the same time, there are fewer hours of sunshine during the year, compared to the northern part of the country.
Regarding the rainfall, official data from the entire country shows that in the Atlantic area where the Bodega Cerro del Toro vineyard is located, the annual average is 1,000 millimetres distributed evenly throughout the year, while there are areas of the country with almost 1,200 millimetres.
The slopes that expose the plants to ocean winds while the stony soils drain the excess of rainwater, makes the microclimate of the foothills of Cerro del Toro very special.
All these factors give us an Atlantic environment, where the breezes throughout the year contribute to sanitize the plants, fruit, and the stony and well-drained soil.
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GEOLOGY
& SOILS
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Bodega Cerro del Toro’s vineyard soil is determined by the geology of the place, with syenitic and metamorphic rocks, in a state of extensive decomposition, which allows the vine to access the minerals. The area is part of a chain of ancient volcanoes, now inactive, that was part of the mega-continent called Gondwana, which brought together what we know today as South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania millions of years ago. After the detachment and formation of America, the tectonic plate on which Uruguay is located stabilized, and the chain of volcanoes eroded strongly due to the planet’s climate variability, over hundreds of millions of years. Consequently, what we have today are the hills that make up the Sierra de Ánimas, together with the rest of the coastal elevations of the same origin, such as the Sugar Loaf and the Cerro del Toro.
In our vineyard soils there is a great variability and richness of rocks, from granite to quartz and calcareous rocks. These materials, deposited by the colluvium of the hill, are grouped with sediments deposited over time and formed a soil of clay texture in some areas, and sandy silt in others. In addition, due to the fact that the place was once a sea bed until the geological fault forced the sea to withdraw, an important concentration of calcium carbonate is found at medium depth, which is deposited in the soil by decomposition of fossil marine creatures.
In general, we have moderately acid soils, with a low organic content and very good drainage. This forces the plant to quickly extend in depth its root system, searching for sufficient nutrients. And then generates a pressure that then causes a balance of quality in the production of the fruit.
This homogeneity in the composition of the soil, added to the different heights above sea level (from 50 to 120 meters) and slopes of up to 12%, allowed the Cerro del Toro team to choose different points on the land to plant specially selected varieties. On the other hand, this reality generated the challenge of exploring the soil in depth, for which more than 70 test pits (holes) were made and that allowed us to observe its composition before making decisions.
Finally, we would like to highlight the natural vegetation of the environment. Our implementation work and then management of the vineyard in production, are carried out respecting the native species. This forest and mountain shrubs give the landscape beauty and diversity.
The vines coexist with chilcas, romerillos, carquejas and many more species. We also preserve with great commitment the native forest of Canelones and Coronillas (even within plots of the vineyard), where the fauna of this environment lives.
