Guide to Los Chacayes GI & wine region

The GI, which was established in 2017, was formed not on the basis of ‘terroir’, but using the legal boundary. This means that, while it isn’t an enormous area, it is quite a diverse region. There are over 700 metres in difference between the highest- and lowest-altitude sites, which in turn make for climatic differences, with sites ranging from moderately warm to extremely cool-climate (from Winkler III to Winkler I). What is more, there are also diverse alluvial and colluvial soils with granite, sand, clay, boulders, and metamorphic and volcanic rocks. And all this within a 15-kilometre radius!

Its great diversity means that Los Chacayes is suitable for a wide range of varieties. There are some excellent white wines from the region — I’m particularly partial to its Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and white Rhône blends. Los Chacayes also produces a range of red varieties with Mediterranean varieties (Garnacha, Syrah and Mourvèdre) performing particularly well, as well as Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. As is the case right across Argentina, Malbec is the local star and Los Chacayes Malbec tends to be filled with bright red fruit aromas with good acidity and firm, structured tannins.

Wineries in Los Chacayes

BIANCHI

A notable family winery in Argentina with a large estate in Los Chacayes (as well as San Rafael). Try the Enzo Bianchi Gran Malbec

CASA DE UCO

A stunning hotel, vineyard and winery far towards the foothills with a range of delightful wines with Alberto Antonini as the consultant

CORAZON DEL SOL

One of the modern pioneers of red Rhone blends in Argentina and excellent quality too. Part of The Vines of Mendoza winemakers’ village

PIEDRA NEGRA

Francois Lurton’s landmark winery and estate and still one of the key producers in Los Chacayes. Try their excellent white blends and top Los Chacayes Malbec

SUPERUCO

The Michelini family’s Los Chacayes outpost with a garden of biodynamic vines and a superb restaurant overlooking them

THE VINES OF MENDOZA

An impressive wine hotel, vineyard estate and winery making wines for some 220 private vineyard owners. Excellent spot for dinner too

VER SACRUM

An exciting boutique producer focused on Mediterranean blends with Garnacha as a key variety. Etherial and juicy wines

BLANCHARD Y LURTON

Andres Blanchard and Francois Lurton’s boutique brand. Highlights include their delicious white blends and Sauvignon Blanc

GIMENEZ RIILI

Family winery and the first established in The Vines’ winemakers’ village. A delightful winery to visit for lunch and a tasting

SOLO CONTIGO

Noel and Terry Neelands have been making their own boutique production of wines in The Vines estate since 2010

ONOFRI WINES

Sommelier and winemaker Mariana Onofri’s family brand which includes fresh reds and vibrant white blends among the range

Quick Guide to Los Chacayes GI 

Hectares planted in Los Chacayes

1,885 hectares of vineyards

Altitude of vineyards in Los Chacayes

Ranging from 1,000 to 1,700 m.a.s.l.

Soils in Los Chacayes wine region

A diverse mix of alluvial and colluvial soils with granite, sand, clay, boulders, and metamorphic and volcanic rocks

Grape varieties & wines in Los Chacayes

There’s a great potential for both red and white wines in Los Chacayes. Some of the star varieties include Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, but there are also very exciting red Rhone varieties including Garnacha, Syrah and Mourvedre. In white wines there is also quite a diverse range of grape varieties planted and white Rhone varieties (Marsanne, Roussane, Viognier) seem to perform particularly well, as well as Sauvignon Blanc blends.

Winemaker’s perspective on Los Chacayes: Thibault Lepoutre

François Lurton’s Piedra Negra was a pioneer of Los Chacayes and French transplant Thibault has been with Lurton since 2012, exploring the potential of the region.

What defines Los Chacayes for me is that we are on an alluvial fan and we have these very poor soils with quite hard stones. This gives us a lot of colour and concentration in our wines, and we get very nice acidity, which I think we are also seeing more clearly now because we are harvesting earlier and earlier each year. There’s also a certain firmness to our Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. And aromatically we have a very expressive nose, which is very floral, and always reminds me of Syrah from St Joseph in the northern Rhône. I think there’s great potential here for white wines too — and we’ve planted half our estate with white varieties. In Los Chacayes, we get white wines with a lot of personality too!”

Terroir Selection: Best wines to try from Los Chacayes GI

Los Chacayes does have a standout style of Malbec, with red fruit and a bold framework, but it is a GI that offers so much more than just Malbec. I love what is happening in Los Chacayes with complex white blends and interesting Mediterranean varieties, and new vineyards are being planted all the time. It’s an evolving appellation and a really exciting one to follow.

PIEDRA NEGRA, Gran Lurton Corte Friulano

$$. Drinking window <8 years

The original and still one of the best modern Argentine white blends. This Sauvignon Vert-dominant wine has creamy layers of vanilla bean, ginger and white pepper aromas, underpinned with fresh herbaceous and citrus notes and mouth-watering acidity. This accomplished wine inspired a wave of white wine blends in Argentina.

SUSANA BALBO, Nosotros Single Vineyard Nómade

$$$$. Drinking window <20 years

Susana Balbo and Edy del Popolo are obsessive about finding the top terroirs for their iconic wines, and it has certainly paid off with Nómade: an elegant but powerful Malbec with fresh notes of red and black forest fruit, violets and liquorice. Firm but fine tannins are encased in this full-bodied red, which is alive with verve and energy. Gorgeous.

VER SACRUM, Gloria

$$. Drinking window <6 years

Ver Sacrum is one of my favourite producers because the whole purpose of this boutique project was to do something different and bring Mediterranean varieties and a lighter, juicier style of wines to Mendoza. Garnacha is their calling card, and Gloria is the crème de la crème. Sappy, floral and feminine but with tension and texture, walking the line between ethereal and electric.

PIEDRA NEGRA, Chacayes

$$$. Drinking window <20 years

This is the iconic wine of François Lurton’s estate and he rightly names it after the sub-region he pioneered. This Malbec exudes the bright red fruit character of Chacayes, with rich concentration, full body, taut, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity. This will cellar well and improve with age. If you are too impatient to wait, try L’Esprit — the fresher, younger second-label.

CORAZON DEL SOL, Luminoso

$$. Drinking window <8 years

One of the first, if not the first, GSM blends in Argentina, this full-bodied wine is filled with spice and ripe black fruit notes with some floral lift. It’s a voluptuous but harmonious single-block blend.

BIANCHI, Gran Famiglia Corte

$$. Drinking window <8 years

Bianchi is now a major player in Los Chacayes after acquiring a 150-hectare vineyard in the GI. This blend is one of my favourites of theirs and great value. A dark, peppery and succulent blend of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which is approachable in its youth but still has the firmness and weight of Chacayes terroir.

ONOFRI WINES, Alma Gemela White Field Blend

$$. Drinking window <6 years

Mariana Onofri’s sensual blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne and Roussanne from grapes at The Vines of Mendoza, where she is resident Wine Director. Complex layers of ginger, honeycomb and citrus spice with a lively finish.

TERRAZAS DE LOS ANDES. Parcel 12S Lican Malbec

$$$$. Drinking window <15 years

This luxurious single-plot wine is balanced and polished — a trademark of Terrazas’ wine style. The brightness of Chacayes’ wild herbal notes and its deep mineral tension are framed in perfumed oak with fine tannins.

BODEGA TEHO. Zaha Marsanne

$. Drinking window <5 years

There isn’t much Marsanne planted in Argentina yet, but in Los Chacayes it has certainly shown great potential and this bold white wine offers plenty of proof. With an appealing nose of hay, honey, spice and meadow flowers. It’s one of my ‘go-to’ unusual whites in Mendoza, and excellent value too.

Map of Tunuyan wine regions in Uco Valley

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