Regional profile: Mendoza, Argentina

Had it not been for the wine industry, Mendoza might have remained a sleepy one-horse kind of town tucked away in the foothills of the Andes.  

But the opening of the Buenos Aires to Mendoza railway in 1885 changed all that, helping to spur on a wine boom in the 19th and early 20th century, which saw entrepreneurial producers piling into the dusty backwater.   

Back in 1830 there was only 1,000ha of vineyard planted in the region, of which around 80% were planted with Malbec from French stock; by 1910 this had already burgeoned to 45,000ha, outstripping neighbouring Chile in the process.   

Fast-forward nearly a hundred years and by 2008, Mendoza had over 144,000 ha of vineyards, producing the lion’s share of Argentina’s total production, with nearly two thirds originating from the region. Mendoza is now Argentina’s biggest wine producing area, and is at the very heart of the country’s wine industry.  

Dominated by the snow-capped mountain range, and at between 600 – 1000 metres above sea level, Mendoza’s vineyards are located at some of the most dizzying altitudes in the world.  

Climate

The region enjoys a continental climate and semi-arid desert conditions with four distinct seasons and no extremes of temperature. The presence of the Andes acts as a barrier to humid winds from the Pacific Ocean, while rainfall in the region is low at around eight inches a year, making irrigation a necessity. Frost in spring is a relatively rare occurrence, with the main headache for grape growers being the summer hail known as La Piedra  

Malbec is king

The region is still synonymous with one grape in particular, the ubiquitous Malbec which has been the primary source of the nation’s wine exporting success.  

Malbec is clearly king in Mendoza and has made its home in Luján de Cuyo – Argentina’s first denomination of origin (DOC) – and sub-districts such as Chacras de Coria, Vistalba and Agrelo. 

Malbec actually only represents 18% of Argentina's total wine production (40,400.9ha), and makes up 35% of red varieties and 56% of the total wine exported by Argentina.  

But other varietals such as Bordeaux reds including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Franc also fare well, while native grape Torrontés Riojano, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier are waving the flag for the whites.  

Future for Mendoza

Over the last five to 10 years winemakers have worked hard to understand their soils and unique vineyard conditions to grow different styles of grapes that make site specific Malbecs across Mendoza which are helping to transform the profile and reputation that international critics now have for terroir-driven Malbecs and other varieties.

Critics like Tim Atkin MW from the UK who now produces his annual guide to the best wines of Argentina. When asked what the future for Mendoza is he replied recently: “More Malbec,” with the proviso that it is “better Malbec”.  

“We are only just starting to get to a stage where you can tell them apart, so we are starting to say that it tastes like it’s from La Consulta, or Agrelo or Gualtallary, and the differences are just as marked for different places for Malbec as they are in Burgundy for different places for Pinot Noir; it’s just a case of being attuned to it,” he said at a Masters of Wine Seminar earlier this year in Malbec.

Andres Rosberg, president of the Argentine Sommelier Association conceded that site expression was only just beginning to become perceptible in Malbec, and as a result wine styles were increasing. He added that the grape is particularly sensitive to differences in soil and climate.  

“We have over 100 different massale and clonal selections of Malbec, and we are only now starting to fully appreciate the diversity of Malbec,” he added.  

Market for Malbec

The US is the biggest market for Argentinian Malbec, accounting for over 32% of the value of total exports and 38% of the volume, while the UK is the second most important export country comprising nearly 13% of the value of total shipments and with 16% in terms of volume. Canada represents 8.9% of Malbec exports in value terms  

Mendoza’s key growing regions

One of the most well-established wine-growing regions of Mendoza is Luján de Cuyon, close to the city, and East Mendoza. Agrelo sits at the foothill of the Andes and is one of the most notable areas of Lujan de Cuyon. Here, grape bunches mature slowly until they reach full ripeness.  

Also in the Luján region is Las Compuertas, situated on the edge of the foothills of the Andes and near to the Mendoza river, providing easy access to water. This is one of the coolest areas in the region.  

Perdriel is home to some of the region’s oldest vineyards. At an altitude of around 900 metres above sea level, the vines receive intense sunlight, while the gravel and clay soil drains easily. This results in vines developing deep roots in search of water while the poor soil quality means vines are forced into creating grapes with low water content, resulting in richer and more complex wines.  

On the western foothills of the Andes in Vistalba, Malbec is the most widely grown varietal. The scarcity of water, warm summers and cold winters are typical of the region.  

Ugarteche is located on the Southern border of Luján de Cuyo, at altitudes that are slightly lower than those of the valley; its average altitude is 900 masl and a latitude of 33. The region produces soft and opulent Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, while Chardonnay and Semillón are cultivated in new vineyards.    

Barrancas in Maipú, has slightly warmer weather than the rest of Mendoza, accounting for softer and more mature wines, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec all being successfully grown in in the region.  

Uco Valley

However, in a relatively short space of time, the Uco Valley to the South West of the city has become the most exciting wine region in Argentina and one of the most talked about in the southern hemisphere. It arguably produces the country’s best Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, and many of its leading red blends. More to the point, it has added a new dimension to Argentinian Malbec, producing high quality high altitude wines. 

The area under vine has nearly doubled in the past ten years in the Uco Valley, from around 12,235ha to 23,395ha. The most widely planted grape by a long stretch is Malbec, which accounts for nearly half of all plantings (around 10,200ha), though Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc are all well represented, along with a long roll call of other varietals.