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Mendoza
,
Argentina
Tunuyán
Uco's Rockstar Heart
Middle of the Uco sandwich, this place defines modern Argentine winemaking. It is home to the famous Clos de los Siete and boasts intense reds that made the world pay attention to high-altitude viticulture.
Middle of the Uco sandwich, this place defines modern Argentine winemaking. It is home to the famous Clos de los Siete and boasts intense reds that made the world pay attention to high-altitude viticulture.
Middle of the Uco sandwich, this place defines modern Argentine winemaking. It is home to the famous Clos de los Siete and boasts intense reds that made the world pay attention to high-altitude viticulture.
Taste profile
Power Malbec
Spicy fruit
Structured reds
Prepare your palate for power. Malbec here doesn't mess around, offering deep violet colors and spicy black fruit flavors that punch way above their weight class. Winemakers aim for polish and structure, ensuring these bottles can age for years or be popped tonight. You will also find Cabernet Franc making a serious noise, showing off herbal edges without being too green or aggressive.
Prepare your palate for power. Malbec here doesn't mess around, offering deep violet colors and spicy black fruit flavors that punch way above their weight class. Winemakers aim for polish and structure, ensuring these bottles can age for years or be popped tonight. You will also find Cabernet Franc making a serious noise, showing off herbal edges without being too green or aggressive.
Prepare your palate for power. Malbec here doesn't mess around, offering deep violet colors and spicy black fruit flavors that punch way above their weight class. Winemakers aim for polish and structure, ensuring these bottles can age for years or be popped tonight. You will also find Cabernet Franc making a serious noise, showing off herbal edges without being too green or aggressive.
The vibe
Architectural gems
High investment
Mountain gloss
Money has definitely landed here. It feels like the Beverly Hills of Mendoza, where sleek architecture meets rugged mountain terrain. Every winery looks designed by an architect who had something to prove, featuring stunning tasting rooms that gaze directly at the Andes. Visitors flock here not just to drink, but to marvel at how much cash was poured into the soil to make magic happen.
Money has definitely landed here. It feels like the Beverly Hills of Mendoza, where sleek architecture meets rugged mountain terrain. Every winery looks designed by an architect who had something to prove, featuring stunning tasting rooms that gaze directly at the Andes. Visitors flock here not just to drink, but to marvel at how much cash was poured into the soil to make magic happen.
Money has definitely landed here. It feels like the Beverly Hills of Mendoza, where sleek architecture meets rugged mountain terrain. Every winery looks designed by an architect who had something to prove, featuring stunning tasting rooms that gaze directly at the Andes. Visitors flock here not just to drink, but to marvel at how much cash was poured into the soil to make magic happen.
Who's who
Michel Rolland
Bodega Salentein
French influence
Michel Rolland is the unofficial mayor around these parts. His Clos de los Siete project brought massive French influence and investment to Vista Flores. You also have Bodega Salentein crafting icons in their awe-inspiring cathedral of wine. Keep an eye on the smaller projects spinning out of the Los Chacayes IG, where producers are getting weird and wonderful with concrete eggs and native yeasts.
Michel Rolland is the unofficial mayor around these parts. His Clos de los Siete project brought massive French influence and investment to Vista Flores. You also have Bodega Salentein crafting icons in their awe-inspiring cathedral of wine. Keep an eye on the smaller projects spinning out of the Los Chacayes IG, where producers are getting weird and wonderful with concrete eggs and native yeasts.
Michel Rolland is the unofficial mayor around these parts. His Clos de los Siete project brought massive French influence and investment to Vista Flores. You also have Bodega Salentein crafting icons in their awe-inspiring cathedral of wine. Keep an eye on the smaller projects spinning out of the Los Chacayes IG, where producers are getting weird and wonderful with concrete eggs and native yeasts.
LOCAL TALES
The General's Nap
The General's Nap
The General's Nap
Before it was a playground for international winemakers, this valley played host to General San Martín. Legend has it that upon his return from liberating half of South America, the weary general took a nap under a tree in what is now the Manzano Histórico. He wasn't drinking Malbec back then, but he certainly needed a stiff drink. This specific spot marks a pivotal moment in Argentine independence, and locals treat that tree with more reverence than a 100-point wine score. It serves as a reminder that before the luxury resorts and polished tasting rooms arrived, this was a rugged passage for revolutionaries changing the course of history.
Before it was a playground for international winemakers, this valley played host to General San Martín. Legend has it that upon his return from liberating half of South America, the weary general took a nap under a tree in what is now the Manzano Histórico. He wasn't drinking Malbec back then, but he certainly needed a stiff drink. This specific spot marks a pivotal moment in Argentine independence, and locals treat that tree with more reverence than a 100-point wine score. It serves as a reminder that before the luxury resorts and polished tasting rooms arrived, this was a rugged passage for revolutionaries changing the course of history.
The French Connection
The French Connection
The French Connection
Imagine convincing seven famous French families to buy a plot of rocky dirt in the middle of nowhere. That is exactly what Michel Rolland did in the late 90s. He saw potential in Vista Flores when everyone else saw scrubland and rocks. The project, known as Clos de los Siete, turned into a vinous commune where Bordeaux meets the Andes. While some original partners have shifted, the impact remains undeniable. It proved that you could make world-class blends here that rival anything from the Old World. Now, that crazy investment is the anchor of the entire region, pulling in tourists who want a taste of French flair with their Argentine steak.
Imagine convincing seven famous French families to buy a plot of rocky dirt in the middle of nowhere. That is exactly what Michel Rolland did in the late 90s. He saw potential in Vista Flores when everyone else saw scrubland and rocks. The project, known as Clos de los Siete, turned into a vinous commune where Bordeaux meets the Andes. While some original partners have shifted, the impact remains undeniable. It proved that you could make world-class blends here that rival anything from the Old World. Now, that crazy investment is the anchor of the entire region, pulling in tourists who want a taste of French flair with their Argentine steak.
Fighting the Stones
Fighting the Stones
Fighting the Stones
Farmers here do not plow the soil so much as they fight it. In sub-zones like Los Chacayes, the ground is basically a pile of river stones coated in calcium carbonate. When Francois Lurton arrived, he had to clear so many dark boulders he named his winery Piedra Negra. This struggle is exactly why the wines taste so electric. Vines have to work incredibly hard to survive, digging deep past the boulders to find water. This natural stress results in berries with thick skins and intense concentration. It is a classic case of nature playing hard to get, and the result is liquid gold that winemakers are obsessed with capturing.
Farmers here do not plow the soil so much as they fight it. In sub-zones like Los Chacayes, the ground is basically a pile of river stones coated in calcium carbonate. When Francois Lurton arrived, he had to clear so many dark boulders he named his winery Piedra Negra. This struggle is exactly why the wines taste so electric. Vines have to work incredibly hard to survive, digging deep past the boulders to find water. This natural stress results in berries with thick skins and intense concentration. It is a classic case of nature playing hard to get, and the result is liquid gold that winemakers are obsessed with capturing.
LOCAL WINE STYLES
Argentinian Malbec
Imagine climbing a mountain just to jump into a pool of blackberry jam. High-altitude vineyards pump these bottles full of intense fruit flavors and velvety textures that practically scream for a slice of grilled beef.
Imagine climbing a mountain just to jump into a pool of blackberry jam. High-altitude vineyards pump these bottles full of intense fruit flavors and velvety textures that practically scream for a slice of grilled beef.
Argentinian Mendoza Red Blend
While Malbec often steals the spotlight, these concoctions prove that teamwork makes the dream work. Winemakers mix Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc to create a symphony that is louder, bolder, and arguably more complex than the soloist.
While Malbec often steals the spotlight, these concoctions prove that teamwork makes the dream work. Winemakers mix Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc to create a symphony that is louder, bolder, and arguably more complex than the soloist.
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