Uco Valley: 10 names to know
CADUS WINES
Run by Santiago Mayorga, this innovative winery focuses on making terroir- driven wines from non-traditional varieties such as Petit Verdot, Criolla Chica and Pinot Noir, in addition to the more common Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In each case, Mayorga has selected the place of origin that best suits the grape, producing harmonious and flavourful interpretations that never lose sight of consumer tastes or gastronomic pairings.
CATENA ZAPATA
In the 1990s, Nicolás Catena pioneered the exploration of high-altitude terroirs in Mendoza. The Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary is the winery’s most famous and possibly the most extensively studied in the world, with geological, physical and biological research carried out by the Catena Institute of Wine. The Malbecs and Chardonnays produced there have inspired a plethora of other studies that are revolutionising the Argentinian wine scene.
DONA PAULA
This group of wineries selects different locations for its terroir- based wines. Overseen by Martín Kaiser, an expert in the soils and climates of the Uco Valley, its Malbec single- estate Parcel wines from El Cepillo and Gualtallary explore how a variety behaves differently based on where it’s grown. The producer also makes a series of high-altitude blends from the same vineyards, focusing on the expression of place over variety.
ERNESTO CATENA VINEYARDS
A pioneer of organic, biodynamic and natural wines in Mendoza, this project uses grapes from a Demeter- certified vineyard in Vista Flores to produce a wide range of wines, of which the Omaggio Pét- Nat (a Viognier white and Cabernet Franc rosé) and Alma Negra Orange – one of the first of its kind in Argentina – stand out, along with a collection of non-intervention reds made in amphorae with no added sulphites.
MATIAS RICCITELLI
Although his main winery is located in Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo, Matías Riccitelli is also a major figure on the Uco Valley scene. His talent for creating wines with their own identity forged in the vineyards from which they came is resulting in some of the most vivacious Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays in Mendoza. His reds with no added sulphites, made with as little winemaking input as possible, are an interesting option that reflect the range of flavours that can be produced at high altitude.
MICHELINI i MUFATTO
Gerardo Michelini and Andrea Mufatto are notorious for going against the grain at their family winery, which they run with their children. Although they mostly use grapes from Tupungato, they also produce a pure, bold Malbec from La Cautiva, a high-altitude vineyard in Gualtallary, while their saline, oxidative Semillon, Chardonnay and Chenin Blancs are a delightful shock to the palate.
PERSE
In 2013, David Bonomi and Edgardo del Popolo harnessed their detailed knowledge of the vineyard to create a collection of wines that express their place of origin with Burgundian precision. Made with grapes from a Gualtallary vineyard worthy of the title of grand cru, La Craie, Iubileus and Volare are a trio of rare and much sought-after Malbecs – a must for demanding palates.
TERRAZAS DE LOS ANDES
This Mendoza winery owned by luxury group LVMH is making waves with its wines from Los Chacayes, Paraje Altamira and Gualtallary. The best of its range undoubtedly comes from the El Espinillo vineyard in the latter region, which, at 1,615m above sea level, is the highest in the Uco Valley. In these extreme conditions, head winemaker Gonzalo Carrasco harvests the grapes for two standout wines: an extraordinary Malbec from the Parcel line and an original, vibrant Grand Chardonnay.
VIVO O MUERTO
Alejandro Sejanovich is a creative winemaker heading up projects across many of the different wine regions of Argentina. Together with his business partners, Jeff Mausbach and Jorge Crotta, he produces Malbec-based red blends with grapes from different vineyards in the Uco Valley, seeking to capture the character of each area. Vivo o Muerto offers wines from Paraje Altamira, El Cepillo, San Pablo, Gualtallary, Los Chacayes and Las Pareditas, with the whole series now acting as a kind of guide to the region.
ZUCCARDI VALLE DE UCO
Although his winery headquarters is located in GI Paraje Altamira, with the vineyard there producing some of the most exciting Malbecs in Argentina, Sebastián Zuccardi makes whites and reds from almost every GI in the Uco Valley. Actively cultivating a sense of place, he has set up a research team to study the climates and soils of each of the vineyards he chooses for his Malbec Aluvional and Polígonos del Valle de Uco range.