Gualtallary & Altamira reds

These high-altitude Uco Valley regions share similar topographies but their history of winemaking, and the reds themselves, are quite different, as Patricio Tapia reports

Malbec aNd argeNtiNa are inextricably linked. the country’s producers know that and have profited from it. but as italian consultant alberto antonini – a key player in the evolution of argentinian wine – observes: ‘the next step is to sell less Malbec and more argentinian terroir.’

in this context, regionality begins to play a key role in how we understand argentinian wines today. there are many regions making excellent wines (Malbec or not), but two garner the most attention for the quality and character they deliver. both are in the heights of the Uco Valley, at the foot of the andes: gualtallary and Paraje altamira, south of the city of Mendoza.

Paraje altamira has a long tradition in wine, and some of its vineyards are more than a century old, while gualtallary is a new area that was only planted in 1994 thanks to the chandon winery and its sparkling wines. in geographical terms, gualtallary is located north of the Uco Valley, in the department of tupungato, at an altitude of 1,200m to 1,550m, while Paraje altamira is in the centre of the valley, in the department of tunuyán, at a height ranging from 1,080m to 1,100m. the geographical boundaries of altamira were legally established in 2013 (revisited in 2017) and today it has its own ig (geographical indication), while gualtallary is still in the process of legalising its borders.

ancient river beds

both share similar topographies: altamira has alluvial soils that millions of years ago formed the bed of the tunuyán river, and gualtallary is on an alluvial cone – the old las tunas bed. the soils are rich in sand, gravel and mainly chalk, which imparts mineral notes as well as tense, tight textures in the wines, a detail that separates them from the soft, round tannins of other lower areas.

the character of gualtallary wines versus altamira’s is still to be clearly identified, mainly – as eduardo del Popolo, winemaker at Susana balbo Winery, says – because both areas are very disparate. but to generalise, del Popolo says the gualtallary wines are more herbal and light, while altamira’s are more austere and robust.

the dominant grape is Malbec. but Matías Michelini, owner of Passionate Wine, says cabernet Franc has also produced very good results in gualtallary, as well as Sauvignon blanc. For Sebastián Zuccardi, of bodega Zuccardi, bonarda has many possibilities in altamira.

these areas of Uco already produce some of the best wines in argentina but are still a work in progress; there is still a long way for us to appreciate their true identity.