Responsible for 70% of the nation’s wines, Mendoza is Argentina’s viticultural powerhouse thanks to its high altitude vineyards and world-class wineries. Conditions here in the foothills of the Andes are tough, with intense UV light, cold mountain nights, and a desert-like climate moderated by snowmelt irrigation.
These extremes shape the local wines into something truly unique; structured and bold Malbecs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay with a perfect balance between freshness and power. In this article we’ll explore the best wines from Mendoza from the highest altitude sites in the Uco Valley to the warmer historic sites of Luján de Cuyo and Maipú.
Best Mendoza Wines by Varietal
Malbec
Mendoza’s signature grape, Malbec, single-handedly put Argentina on the map for incredible value red wines that are bursting with juicy fruit and unique high altitude character. The grape originates in a little-known corner of France, the Cahors region, where it’s known locally as “Côt” and is used to make slightly rustic, deeply-coloured, and intense reds.
Malbec came to Mendoza in 1853 with French agronomist Michel Pouget who had been invited over by the Argentinian government to improve their wine industry. Mendoza’s sunny climate and alluvial soils proved a perfect match for Malbec, growing larger, juicier berries with softer tannins compared to the Côt grapes of the Cahors.
Malbec steadily took over as Argentina’s favourite grape in the early 20th century, being enjoyed for its affordable and approachable reds. Producers like Catena Zapata took things to the next level in the 1990s, growing vines at ever higher altitudes in Mendoza’s Uco Valley and producing serious, ageworthy Malbecs that soon grabbed the attention of international wine critics like Robert Parker.
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Catena Zapata Argentino Malbec is a limited-production Malbec from Mendoza’s most esteemed winemaking family. Fruit comes from low-yielding vines planted decades ago in their top Nicasia and Angelica vineyards which sit at 920–1,095 m above sea level.
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El Enemigo Malbec is the handiwork of another household name in Mendoza, the iconic label founded by Nicolás Catena’s daughter, the historian Adrianna Catena, and Catena Zapata’s chief winemaker Alejandro Vigil. Vines are planted at up to 1,400 metres of altitude in Gualtallary in Tupungato in the Uco Valley. Conditions here help create a cuvee with remarkable freshness, elegance and striking aromatics.
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Rutini Malbec comes from the historic Bodega la Rural founded in 1885 by an Italian immigrant family from Le Marche. In 1925 they were the first to begin planting in Mendoza’s high altitude Uco Valley which today produces many of Argentina’s top wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet is Mendoza’s second signature red after Malbec, and the fourth most popular grape in Argentina in terms of vineyard plantings. Like Malbec, it was introduced along with other French varieties in the mid-19th century during a government-led effort to modernise Argentinian viticulture.
For almost a century Cabernet Sauvignon was often blended with other Bordeaux varieties or made into a soft, easy-drinking style. In the past decade plantings of Cabernet have actually reduced as Mendoza estates focus on serious single varietals made from top quality vines and terroirs.
Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza has a distinctive expression thanks to the intense sunshine and cool nights in high altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo. These conditions preserve plenty of freshness while creating ripe cassis and blackberry flavors and aromas and smooth, rounded tannins.
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Tapiz Alta Collection Cabernet Sauvignon is a great introduction to high altitude Mendoza Cabernet. This bottle is crafted from prime parcels in San Pablo in the Uco Valley which sit at an elevation of 1300-1400 metres. The poor soils high in calcium carbonate and a 15–20°C drop between day and night temperatures help limit yields and concentrate and intensify the flavour profile.
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Catena Zapata Birth of Cabernet references the moment when Cabernet first arrived in Argentina. This modern and sophisticated take is made from fruit from high Uco Valley vineyards like Adrianna which at 1,450–1,500 metres is one of the highest Cabernet sites in Mendoza. The idea is to showcase the brilliance of Mendoza’s second black grape in a serious, ageworthy wine that’s reminiscent of Napa Valley’s top Cabernets.
Bonarda
Mendoza’s third most planted red, Bonarda, is a rare variety barely known outside of Argentina. The grape was introduced in the 19th century by Italian immigrants who brought over cuttings from their homelands in Piedmont and Lombardy to help build their new lives here.
For decades Bonarda was made into simple, high-yield reds which were drunk as table wines by many Italian-Argentinian families. More recently, local enologists have recognised its potential for producing structured, single-vineyard reds with plenty of soft tannins. The best Bonardas come from Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo sub-region and lower altitude sites where the warmer conditions enhance the juicy black fruit and easy-going nature.
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El Enemigo La Esperanza Single Vineyard Bonarda shows off the very best of Mendoza Bonarda using fruit from a single plot in San Martín. It’s fermented using wild yeasts and aged in big oak foudres for 18 months for extra complexity.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is another French variety introduced in the 19th century, and Mendoza is home to the world’s oldest Cabernet Franc vineyard planted in 1899. Until recently the grape was largely overshadowed by Malbec. In the whole country there are only about 2,150 hectares of Cabernet Franc, mostly concentrated in the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo.
In the last decade Cabernet Franc has become one of the country’s fastest-growing red varieties with a 130% increase in plantings. This surge of popularity comes as wineries seek out more aromatic, lighter alternatives to the rich, heavily-structured reds that dominate the Argentinian wine market.
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Edmond de Rothschild Flechas De Los Andes Gran Cabernet Franc is produced by the Rothschild‑Dassault partnership that brought Bordeaux winemaking expertise to Mendoza. This expression grows in Vista Flores at the foothills of the Andes in the Uco Valley and is matured in French oak foudres.
Bordeaux Blends
Bordeaux varieties have been popular in Mendoza ever since French agronomist Michel Pouget established a nursery here to modernize Argentinian winemaking and introduced Bordeaux vinicultural practices. Now many top Mendoza estates blend Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc to craft balanced, ageworthy reds.
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Cheval des Andes is one of Mendoza’s greatest reds, crafted in partnership with the legendary Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion and the Argentine estate Terrazas de Los Andes. Malbec usually accounts for 70% of the blend, accompanied by Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot with 24 months of ageing in French oak barrels.
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Susana Balbo Signature Brioso is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend made by the first Argentinian woman to graduate in enology. Susana uses high altitude Cabernet grown at up to 1,200 metres of elevation and adds Petit Verdot for extra colour, tannins, and spice.
Chardonnay
Also introduced from France in the mid-19th century, Chardonnay is Mendoza’s most planted white grape. It has adapted particularly well to Mendoza’s high altitude vineyards where the intense sunlight and cold nights help grapes reach full ripeness while keeping lots of freshness and aromatics. Top estates like Catena Zapata focus on single vineyard cuvees, lees ageing, and barrel maturation to create serious and ageworthy Chardonnays with a distinctive Mendoza personality.
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Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay consistently ranks amongst the top Chardonnays from the southern hemisphere. It was first produced in the 2000s after decades of research to showcase high-altitude Mendoza Chardonnay using fruit from Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary which is planted at 1450 metres above sea level.
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Rutini Chardonnay is made from selected vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley with 9 months of ageing in French oak. This is a more easy-going and approachable style reminiscent of classic oaky Chardonnay from California.
Torrontés
Unlike the mighty Malbec, Argentina’s signature white grape is scarcely known outside of the country. The most famous examples of Torrontés come from the extremely high altitude vineyards of Salta, planted at up to 2,000 metres above sea level, but it’s also an important grape in Mendoza where it tends to be fresher with less overt aromatics and more bright citrus character.
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Susana Balbo Signature Barrel Fermented Torrontes is an unusual example of a richer, oaked Torrontés with great structure, complexity, and ageing potential. Susana Balbo is known for her innovative winemaking, and this cuvee is no different with 4 months of ageing in oak and regular lees stirring.
Sémillon
Sémillon is another historic Mendoza grape which was once one of the most planted grapes in Argentina. For decades, Sémillon was used to produce simple, fairly neutral table wines until it was replaced by more commercial and trendy varieties. Now Mendoza’s winemakers are slowly discovering the grape and uncovering a wealth of 40-100 year old vines that were abandoned by previous generations.
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El Enemigo Semillon is a great example of the Semillon revival in Mendoza. This exceptional white is crafted from ungrafted vines planted in the mid-20th century in eastern Mendoza. These vineyards are farmed traditionally with little intervention, and the wine is fermented and aged in larger neutral oak barrels to highlight the beauty of the grape and the terroir.
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