Luján de Cuyo
The classic Malbec cradle
- Soil
- Alluvial, stony soils at ~1,000m below the high Andes.
- Style
- Plush, deeply coloured, classic Mendoza Malbec; old-vine sites abound.
- Top sites
- Argentina's first DO (1993); old-vine Malbec in Las Compuertas, Vistalba.
- Vintages
- 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Producers
- Luigi Bosca
Tip · Luján de Cuyo is the historic home of fine Argentine Malbec — warm, with old vines and the country's first appellation, giving rich, velvety reds.
Value pick
Catena 'Catena' Malbec (Classic) · ~$22
The high-altitude Malbec that defined modern Argentina — vibrant, floral and structured; an unbeatable benchmark value.
Collector pick
Catena Zapata 'Adrianna Vineyard' (e.g. River Stones) · ~$200 · 2019
Single-parcel Uco/Gualtallary Malbec from one of the world's most studied vineyards — Argentina's most collectible wine.