Past, present and future of the C.D.O. Luján de Cuyo
The establishment of the C.D.O. has been the most significant event taking place within the last 50 years of the Argentine wine industry. Preserving nature, exalting culture and adding value to tradition, so that the regional Malbec’s identity transcends over time.
The Luján de Cuyo C.D.O. was born at the end of the 1980s as a bold project executed by a group of 50 people connected to the wine industry –especially visionary wine producers and winemakers. The C.D.O.’s founders were really ahead of their time, since they created a certification amidst a deep winegrowing crisis that had as main consequence the loss of 50 thousand Malbec hectares in Mendoza.
So, while New World winemakers chose to focus on varietals in order to differentiate from the Old World, Argentine producers were pushed to opt for alternatives that mostly considered high production varieties over their winemaking qualities. Luján de Cuyo supported and trusted on its native soil, its history and its own traditional winemaking methods. These pioneers gathered with a common shared goal: to create a Controlled Denomination of Origin following the European style for the Malbec variety. It was an innovative and ground-breaking measure, taken in 1988 by a group of passionate specialists that foresaw the potential of Malbec in Luján de Cuyo, and wanted to protect the heritage that the old vineyards of that productive area of the province represented. However, it took time and heated debates to agree that this C.D.O. should only include the Malbec variety. It was crucial to understand that a C.D.O. arises from a prior significant fact, such as the outcomes obtained with this particular grape variety, and not after its creation. The creation of a C.D.O. emerges as a consequence of the existence of a quality product. Among the leading characters taking part of this process are Mr. Raúl de la Mota
“The future of the winemaking industry lies in the past; therefore, the Luján de Cuyo C.D.O. links past and present”, Alberto Arizu senior
and Alberto Arizu senior (grandson of Mr. Leoncio, Luigi Bosca’s founder), two of the most important actors in the Argentine wine industry. Highly respected among their peers, they were finally able to reach an agreement: the C.D.O. was only going to be considered for the grape variety that made the region famous, in order to protect its native soil and antique vines, and to establish quality standards that represented a guarantee for the wine consumer.
Thus, in 1989, the Luján de Cuyo Controlled Denomination of Origin Board was established and, one year after the approval of the guideline that determines the technical conditions of the vine, the cultural work in the vineyard, the hygiene and transportation conditions of the grape, and the vinification process, as well as the aging and stacking, among many other different aspects related to the C.D.O. wines, was achieved. In 1991, the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) made the recognition of the Luján de Cuyo C.D.O. official and international, turning it into the first American wine C.D.O. registered at the OIV. In the same year, Luigi Bosca launched Luigi Bosca Malbec C.D.O. wine into the market, the first Argentine wine with a C.D.O. certification that constituted an archetypical example of Luján de Cuyo’s Malbec.
However, the legal framework did not contemplate at that time the existence of the C.D.O. in Argentina. That’s why, in 1993, the Board obtained the approval of the
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Provincial Law of Origin Denomination, and in 1999 a National Law was passed that also introduces the concept of Geographic Indication (GI) and Indication of Origin (IO). This was one of the initial objectives of the C.D.O. that was fulfilled together with the foundation purpose of giving and adding value to the old vines and the Malbec in the area.
So, the creation of Luján de Cuyo C.D.O. was not only a landmark in the history of Malbec, but also the most important event of the last 50 years of the Argentine winemaking industry we are truly proud of.
Always one step ahead: The C.D.O. renewal.
As from the year 2020, a new generation of agricultural experts and winemakers started to foster and actively participate in the necessary renewal of the C.D.O. At the same time, new wineries were incorporated to the Board in order to have their wines certified.
Even if the Luján de Cuyo C.D.O.’s objective remains the same as its original one, in the last years, substantial changes were introduced to increase value and update it accordingly to suit the needs of the national and international wine industry. Firstly, adaptations to the guidelines related to the introduction of new technical and natural elements were introduced; for instance, drip irrigation, new soil activity and even grape varieties that have been implanted in the region for the first time, such as Cabernet Franc, and that today may constitute 15% of the wine composition (85% of wine composition should necessarily be Malbec).
Another of the main changes currently taking place is the introduction of new areas considered within the C.D.O. Recently, the Board has widened the area that was contemplated in the original guideline because certain vineyards that are implanted within the Luján de Cuyo’s limits today did not exist at that time. Thanks to the incorporation of drip irrigation, microterroirs such as the western areas of Agrelo and Ugarteche, proved to have a great potential to make high quality wines. At the same time, the Board is currently working on a new state-of-the art soil mapping and a comprehensive research in order to select clones from the old Malbec vineyards from which high quality grapes may be obtained, to reach new populations. From the winemaking point of view, a special system of sensorial analysis is used to identify Lujan de Cuyo’s wine character, as well as to obtain significant characteristics that differentiate C.D.O. wines from the rest in statistical terms.
A bet for the future: The challenge of establishing district Controlled Denominations of Origin
Ahead of the circumstances, the C.D.O. went even further in its renewal. Today, the Board is working jointly with the geophysicist Guillermo Corona in a C.D.O. subdivision. Protected by the Denomination of Origin Law, that allows for presenting smaller C.D.O. subordinated to the Luján de Cuyo’s one, they are currently generating agro-ecological limited subdivisions, instead of political limits that will add up even more value to the wines made in the area. This district C.D.Os will contain a specific guideline that will be even more restrictive in terms of vineyard management, performance results and vinification processes; also, they will be controlled by the Luján de Cuyo’s C.D.O. Therefore, in a nearby future, a regional C.D.O. and different district C.D.O.s will co-exist, representing a smaller subdivision for more exclusive wines that will have a different distinction to certify their origin.
A unique and irreplaceable genetic heritage: The old vineyards
From the beginning, more than 30 years ago, the main objective of the C.D.O. was to preserve the old vineyards that represent a unique and irreplaceable heritage in Luján de Cuyo. Nowadays, the protection of those vines (some of which even date back to 1900) is still the main challenge for the members of the Board.
Why are these plants so valued? In general, after 30 years, the vines start balancing and adjusting from a productive point of view, and they become a faithful representative of their terroir. This results in more pure wines of genuine terroir typicity.
As the plant grows, its root canal grows in importance and depth; young plants, conversely, possess a smaller root canal, and abundant production may be achieved because of their vigorousity. As time goes by, the productivity level starts decreasing, but the vine gradually reaches a balance between the number of leaves and grapes; therefore, the fruit quality is usually better. At the same time, while
the root canal deepens, the plant starts becoming less sensitive to the weather characteristics. For this reason, quality is also better and more stable with the passing of time.
“After cultivating Malbec in Luján de Cuyo for over 150 years, this variety has developed its own characteristics that are recognized as genuine and authentic at a global scale”
Alberto Arizu senior
Malbec D.O.C Luján de Cuyo 11 10
Alberto Arizu senior
America’s pioneering C.D.O. of wines
The continent’s first Controlled Denomination of Origin is an example of the innovation and forward-looking approach of Argentine winemakers, a project that changed the history of the national winemaking industry.
“The establishment of a C.D.O. was a cutting-edge measure taken by a group of passionate wine lovers who envisioned the region’s potential, the heritage that the old vineyards of Luján de Cuyo represent, and Malbec as a variety, before anyone else.”
C.D.O. Luján de Cuyo is the first Controlled Denomination of Origin to be established in the American continent, and the most renowned across Latin America. But... what is a C.D.O.? This is the name that identifies products native to a region that have gained local, national and international recognition. In other words, Controlled Denominations of Origin are the result of the existence of a top quality product that enjoys great prestige and typicity, whose peculiar traits are due to the geographical area they come from, encompassing both natural factors, and the human and technical elements involved in their production. The C.D.O. aims at ensuring that the product that made the region famous consistently preserves its distinctive character and quality. To do so, C.D.O. boards are established and regulations are created, with lists of all the elements involved in the production. Therefore, this is about stating a given method to make a product in order to guarantee its quality and continuity in time, with a stamp that helps identify its place of origin. As in the case of any geographic certification system throughout the world, the C.D.O provides the consumer with the assurance of enjoying a product typical of a given region, meeting the characteristics and specific requirements throughout its winemaking process.
Pablo Cúneo
Luján de Cuyo
In the case of Luján de Cuyo, its C.D.O. is a non-profit association through voluntary adhesion, with the region’s vineyards and wineries as its adherents. To obtain said distinguishing elements, producers must comply with certain rules based on a centennial winemaking history, only adding particular technological elements to boost what the terroir naturally gives to us.
The C.D.O. Luján de Cuyo is not a marketing feature but an element filled with technical basics. A private certification, self-controlled by the same producers who constitute it, including a Board made up of technical organisms that monitor the work performed at the vineyards and taste the wines before their approval. This way, the C.D.O. provides consumers with a much more powerful element than a trade mark: a guarantee of quality, authenticity and style, validated by a Tasting Panel composed of different wineries working together to add value to a place, a wine, a vine: Luján de Cuyo’s Malbec.
The C.D.O is not just synonymous with pride for the Argentine winemaking industry for being the first Controlled Denomination of Origin in the continent, but also proof of the pioneering spirit and forward-looking approach of Argentine winemakers. In a context of crisis that was affecting the wine sector, besides the sharp fall of the Malbec production –Argentina went through a huge decrease in the hectares cultivated with this variety in the 1980s, from 60,000 to just 9000–, the strong will of a group of visionary wine enthusiasts successfully contributed to highlight the importance of a vine that, although it was far from competing with the most productive ones, had already demonstrated its high enological quality. Over 30 years later, with Malbec as the ambassador of Argentine wine at a global scale, the C.D.O. remains a seal of quality that guarantees we are drinking a genuine Malbec, backed by Luján de Cuyo’s producers.
Luigi Bosca and C.D.O. Luján de Cuyo, part of the same DNA
Alberto Arizu senior was one of the main promoters of the establishment of a C.D.O. In addition, Luigi Bosca was the first winery to launch a Malbec native to Luján de Cuyo onto the market, later becoming an archetype of C.D.O. wines.
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Both C.D.O. and Luigi Bosca’s histories are intertwined through a proper name: Alberto Arizu senior, grandson of Mr. Leoncio Arizu (the winery’s founder). Throughout his life, Alberto was at the fore of many of the great changes and innovations undergone by the Argentine wine sector. Nonetheless, his timeline includes a milestone that scarred him for life: the creation of the C.D.O. Luján de Cuyo.
The ambitious project, which sought to establish the winemaking parameters of the Malbec variety, protect the terroir and set a quality standard, was mostly promoted by two men: Alberto Arizu senior and Mr. Raúl de la Mota, two visionaries of the wine industry. So much so that Alberto was the President of the C.D.O. since the day of its foundation, and for over 30 years. Later, he was succeeded by Roberto de la Mota, Mr. Raúl’s son, who has worked side by side with his father since mid-1989, applying all his knowledge on European C.D.O. to the case of Mendoza. But beyond the prominence of Alberto over the history of the C.D.O., Luigi Bosca also pioneered the launch of the first Argentine certified wine onto the market:
Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C., the archetype of the spirit of Luján de Cuyo. Since 1991 until now, this wine has been made every year through the preservation of the
terroir’s character, its traditional winemaking methods, and its centennial viticulture. The grapes used to make it are born in old vineyards native to the towns of Vistalba, Las Compuertas and Agrelo. Aged for 14 months in oak barrels, to be later stowed for an additional 12-month period in bottles.
Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C is one of Luigi Bosca’s most emblematic wines, and a faithful reflection of its terroir of origin. Especially meaningful for the Arizu family, as this Malbec seeks to reflect the most genuine essence of the region where this winery was born, and the stage for its whole history.
“The C.D.O. is part of our DNA. As a well-established winery in the region for over 120 years, having a Controlled Denomination of Origin is crucial for two reasons. First of all, as it represents a deep-rooted value that places not only the terroir, but also Mendoza and Argentina, in a prominent position. And besides, in view of the leading character of the Arizu family through Alberto Arizu senior, who was one of its founders and Chairman of the Board for almost 30 years.”
Pablo Cúneo Head Winemaker
Malbec D.O.C Luján de Cuyo 17 16
at Luigi Bosca
The Malbec wines born in Luján de Cuyo
Each location in which Malbec is settled features a specific characteristic, and this is why a single terroir, in this case Luján de Cuyo, may give rise to very different wines. To achieve so, it is crucial to properly interpret the grape, as the fruit includes all the information required to establish the most suitable winemaking method for each of its vineyards.
Malbec achieved one of its most finished expressions in Luján de Cuyo, well beyond the varietals of the French commune of Cahors, its place of origin, and those across the world. Overall, it provides colourful, gentle, silky wines that are sweet at core, with rounded tannins. In nearly all cases, almost all its aromas boast hints of red berries, although spicy and floral as well. In function of the wine, it may be reminiscent of violet, mallow, mint, and clove.
Furthermore, in this region, Malbec wines feature a substance known as enanthic ether, which provides the wines with “vinosity”, a characteristic that can be perceived in the palate and turns them into mouth-filling wines, without the sharp characteristics that may develop in other terroirs.
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“It is important to know how to interpret what is written in the grape to establish a suitable winemaking method and obtain what we are looking for in the vineyard.”
Alberto Arizu senior
This is the cradle of Argentine Malbec, but very different expressions of our emblem variety can be found within the same region, while sharing excellent quality and great typicity.
Luigi Bosca wines
Luigi Bosca Malbec
This is one of Luigi Bosca’s emblem wines that entail the deepest interpretation of the Arizu family’s vine, a detail-focused and unique winemaking method, wellestablished after 120 years of history.
Luigi Bosca Malbec was historically made from 100% grapes grown in Luján de Cuyo; nonetheless, over the last decade, it became a blend of the two main producing regions of the province: Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley; hence, it represents Mendoza’s Malbec.
An integral Malbec with ripeness, elegance, softness and sweetness, all characteristic attributes of Luján de Cuyo, in addition to the freshness, floral notes, tension and vibrant character of the Uco Valley. This is a well-bodied and structured wine of pleasant complexity, featuring every trait typical of Malbec, both in terms of freshness and ripeness.
Concentration and complexity levels are higher in this wine than in Luigi Bosca Malbec. The grapes used to make De Sangre Malbec D.O.C. are the result of a select plot of different vineyards planted in different regions of Luján de Cuyo: Las Compuertas, Vistalba and Agrelo.
Ripe plum and a 12-month ageing in oak barrels stand out in its aromatic profile, part of the C.D.O. regulations, in addition to the fruity character. All the regional attributes (softness, silkiness, unctuosity, sweetness and elegance) can be perceived in the mouth.
Wines made in Luján de Cuyo have a riper profile since its vines, planted between 900 and 1100 meters above sea level, benefit from the protection of the pre-mountain hill, preserving them from the impact of cold winds from the Andes during its production cycle.
Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec D.O.C.
“A moving wine does not depend entirely on its quality, but mostly on its stamp on our souls through all senses.”
Alberto Arizu senior
Malbec D.O.C Luján de Cuyo
Finca Los Nobles Malbec
This is Malbec at its full concentration: a meaty, well-bodied wine featuring the expression of pure ripe plum, while preserving the softness, sweetness and elegance characteristic of Luján de Cuyo.
This wine’s character is strongly influenced by the altitude of Las Compuertas, located in the highest part of the northern margin of the Mendoza River (1050 m.a.s.l.), a region of shallow soils with stones and pebbles, whose depth ranges from 50 to 1.5 meters. In these select plots, grapes concentrate character, ripeness and colour. Furthermore, in Finca Los Nobles, these old vineyards just produce a small bunch per shoot, thus representing a yield 30% lower than in other estates and, therefore, more concentrated grapes.
Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley: Two different styles of Malbec
These are the two most important terroirs of Argentina for the cultivation of fine varieties. Malbec develops very different characteristics in both of them, captivating consumers all over the world.
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One of the main reasons why Malbec is Argentina’s iconic vine is its ability to adapt to various national terroirs allowing for very different expressions to be developed, from north to south and east to west.
Although very interesting wines are made throughout the territory, Mendoza is particularly considered “Malbec’s world capital city.” Within the province, this variety acquires different profiles and styles in function of the area where its fruits are harvested. However, as for high-market Malbec wines, the two more prominent terroirs in Argentina are definitely Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley.
Known as the “first wine-producing region”, in Luján de Cuyo, soils are sandyloam and clay-loam, of poor organic material and great permeability. The climate is mild there, perfect for the balanced ripeness of grapes. The terroir’s influence gives rise to varietals whose main trait depends on the fruit: these Malbec are fruit at core, rounded and colourful, with sweet tannins. Broad, wide and fat in the mouth, perfect for its ageing process in oak barrels, in addition to its great stowage potential.
Unlike Luján de Cuyo, the Uco Valley is a rockier area, with shallow soils; calcium carbonate can also be found in some regions, thus providing the wine with a special personality. The frugality of these soils is beneficial for the growth of very healthy vines and grapes, since water drains easily, and roots feed on mineral components. As for the climate, the Uco Valley’s temperatures are colder than those recorded in Luján de Cuyo. Here, Malbec wines are more elegant than broad, vertical, agile and frugal, with mineral, floral and spicy notes. Just like the wines born in the “main producing area”, these also feature excellent stowage capacity.
The Malbec wines of the De Sangre line
“Luigi Bosca wines have always aimed at reflecting their terroir, the expression of that unique place where the grapes used to make them are born. I tend to use a concept to define our wines: terroir goût, which refers to the peculiar taste of the exact place where their fruits grow.”
Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec D.O.C.
The grapes used to make De Sangre Malbec D.O.C. come from select plots from different vineyards planted in different areas of Luján de Cuyo: Las Compuertas, Vistalba and Agrelo.
Ripe plum and a 12-month ageing in oak barrels stand out in its aromatic profile, part of the C.D.O. regulations, in addition to the fruity character. All the regional attributes (softness, silkiness, unctuosity, sweetness and elegance) can be perceived in the mouth.
Wines made in Luján de Cuyo have a riper profile since its vines, planted between 900 and 1100 meters above sea level, benefit from the protection of the premountain hill, preserving them from the impact of cold winds from the Andes during their production cycle.
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Alberto Arizu senior
Luján de Cuyo
Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec Valle de Uco
Made from grapes grown in select plots from Finca Los Miradores (located in Los Árboles) and Finca Miralejos (situated in Paraje Altamira), this Malbec respects the terroir’s spirit and identity.
A Malbec with black fruit aromas and spicy notes, besides some very appealing mineral hints that are characteristic of the terroir. Compact in the mouth, filled with nerve and concentration, and a clean definition, very fluent in the palate. A wine of fine tannins, high acidity, firmness and balance, truthfully representing the typicity developed by Malbec in the Uco Valley.
Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec Paraje Altamira
A limited edition Malbec born in select plots of Finca Miralejos, located in Paraje Altamira. In this wine, its terroir’s stony soil and calcareous components are reflected in its characteristic mineral aroma. The intense mineral notes are reminiscent of wet stone and chalk, surrounded by hints of small red berries. Fresh and vertical in the mouth, highly tense and nervous, featuring a balanced acidity that adds fluidity. A lively wine of red fruit, fine tannins, and rounded in the palate that expresses the character of Paraje Altamira in a transparent manner.
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Floral Notes
Sensory web of our Malbec
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Luigi Bosca Malbec
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Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec D.O.C. Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec Valle de Uco
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Luigi Bosca Los Nobles Malbec
Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec Paraje Altamira
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Districts where Malbec
C.D.O. are from
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What does a wine require to be protected by a C.D.O.?
Timeline of the C.D.O. evolution and future milestones
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Malbec D.O.C 40
