In a country dominated by male winemakers, Susana Balbo stands out not only for her gender, but for her incredible skill and experience. She has been making wine since she earned her enology degree in 1981, and she has probably produced a wider variety of wines than any other winemaker in Argentina. Susana was the first Argentine winemaker to be hired as a consultant to make wine outside of Argentina. She has made wine in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, and Spain, and she spends a month each year in a different wine region of the world studying with local winemakers and growers.
After 25+ years of winemaking, Susana Balbo has a strong sense of what she wants from her wines. From every harvest, she creates the grandest possible wines under her Susana Balbo label. To achieve this, she makes a rigorous selection of the finest barrels prior to making her final blends, dividing them into the parents (reserve level wines) and offspring or "crios". Wines under her Crios label display ripe fruit flavors, excellent balance and concentration, and are meant to be enjoyed in their vibrant youth. They are also an incredibly good value. The label features a series of three connected and overlapping hands, an image that represents Susana and her children, José and Ana. In 2011, Susana passed the winemaking reins for Crios to her own son, José Lovaglio, a graduate of UC Davis. José continues to translate his mother’s vision while bringing his own unique, modern style to the wines.
*Impact magazine gave Crios its 2009 "Hot Brand" award
*Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate stated "All Crios wines are phenomenal values worth buying by the case."
*Wine & Spirits named Crios "Value Brand of the Year" for 2009, 2007, and 2004!"
Click here for the Crios brand overview page.
Dominio del Plata is one of the few wineries in Argentina to meet the ISO 22000 standard which was developed by the International Organization for Standardization to recognize high quality practices within food safety.
Wines at a Glance
- Cabernet Sauvignon: Dark ruby color; richly textured plum and currant flavors; ripe tannins give beautiful structure and a long finish.
- Chardonnay: Lovely aromas of melon, pineapple and creamy apple fruit.
- Malbec: Crushed cherries and toasty/smoky oak aromas; jammy fruit quality with hints of spice.
- Red Blend: Announcing the arrival of another offspring to the Crios Family. This red blend has amazing taste, great reviews, and sleek limited edition packaging.
- Rosé of Malbec: Deep, vibrant color; surprising amount of body for a rose wine; aromas of ripe, wild strawberries; clean, dry finish.
- Syrah/Bonarda: Medium-bodied with incredible depth; ripe red plum and black raspberry flavors; long, juicy finish.
- Torrontes: Fruity, floral aromas similar to Viognier; hints of peach pit, white pear, flowers, and orange citrus; beautiful structure and acidity.
