Registered wineries on The Squeeze Magazine
Vallisto winery and high altitude wines in Cafayate is a story of two winemakers from different corners of the world – of fifth-generation Cafayate winemaker Pancho Lavaque and flying British winemaker Hugh Ryman.
Vallisto winery produces Criolla, Torrontes, Malbec and Barbera wines from their vineyards which include some very old vines of Criolla from the 19th century.
Karim Mussi is one of the best-known winemakers in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, having made his name there with Altocedro winery since 1999. Today he has a family of wine brands and wineries, including the sought after wines of Bodega Alandes, and is also part of Abras in Cafayate, The Phoenician, Qaramy and Los Poetas. For over two decades Karim has been a leading specialist in the La Consulta wine region in the Uco Valley, but also makes wines around Mendoza and Salta.
Karim Mussi is a winemaker and entrepreneur who has steadily built his name as one of the top winemakers of the Uco Valley and today making wines all over Argentina. Having founded his own wineries Altocedro in La Consulta in 1999 and Alandes in 2012, today he also has his own wine project in Salta, Abras, and is a consultant for various other brands and wineries around Argentina.
In particular, Karim has been a longstanding champion of the La Consulta wine region and also of one of its most-planted varieties, Tempranillo. Another of Karim’s calling cards is complex red blends, whether that be blends of regions or varieties, or both.
A family of wines, Karim Mussi Wines encompasses several brands which have been developed over his career and in different partnerships over time:
Altocedro is the flagship winery and brand of Karim Mussi, which he started in 1999 in La Consulta in the Uco Valley. Focused on terroir-driven wines, Altocedro is a leader in the wine region and helped put La Consulta on the map internationally for its high quality wines.
There is a classic range, Año Cero, as well as a Reserva range and also some single vineyard wines, called Coleccion Fincas. Tempranillo has always been a key focus variety for Altocedro winery, as well as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, with some new red blends coming to the fore too and a refreshing Merlot rosé. Some of these wines are made from really old vines in the region, which are over 80 years old.
Bodega Alandes reflects Karim’s journey with these Andes mountain regions in Mendoza, and the name refers to ‘wines from along the Andes’. While Altocedro and Abras are specific terroir projects, Alandes winery is a more open concept which enables blends from different terroirs or regions within Mendoza.
At the moment, the portfolio includes Concrete Tank (an unoaked red blend), two Malbecs (one from a blend of Uco Valley regions and one is a blend from the Calchaquí Valleys), two Bordeaux-style blends called Paradoux (a delicious old-vine white Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and a complex red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot) and a Gran Cabernet Franc (also a blend of regions – La Consulta and Vista Flores).
Viña Qaramy is a new project which has been brought into the Karim Mussi Wines fold and is based in the Uco Valley making a range of varietal wines and blends from the Uco Valley. The portfolio is focused on red wines with a pure fruit expression.
Abras is a boutique project in Cafayate in the Calchaquí Valley in Salta, northern Argentina. With just three wines, Abras has a Torrontés, a Malbec and a Reserva Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Tannat.
These are all high-altitude wines (from 1,700 to over 2,000 m.a.s.l.) and reflect the extreme terroir there with a specific focus on the terroir expression of Cafayate and these emblematic grape varieties for the region.
Karim Mussi has two estate vineyards, both La Consulta in the Uco Valley. The first is a 5-hectare vineyard with vines that are over 20 years old, and the second, larger vineyard has 7 hectares of vines that are 18 years old.
Karim and his team also work with 15 other vineyards which cover all five sub-appellations of La Consulta (Chacón, El Cepillo, Altamira, Lotes Barranquero and La Cañada). For these vineyards the team is 100% in control of the viticulture, maintaining the vineyard throughout the year. In total, Karim Mussi wines works with 83 hectares of vines in the Uco Valley.
In Salta, Abras winery is working with two vineyards in Cafayate. The first is a 25-year-old vineyard in Yacochuya which is over 2,000 m.a.s.l. in altitude with rocky soils; and the second is a Torrontés vineyard with vines that are over 50 years old and come from sandier soils.
All the vineyards are managed in a sustainable way with natural materials used in the vineyards, efficient and responsable water usage (all drip irrigation), untilled soils, composting of the grape seeds and stems, and use of organic fertilizer and minimal vineyard treatments.
Karim has always had a focal point of three dogmas in winemaking: innovation, terroir understanding and sustainable vineyards.
His philosophy in winemaking is to find the purest fruit expression and seek the authentic expression of each place and plot of vines.
“I always try to make wines with personality which are authentic and show typicity of the place,” says Karim.
“My wines are based on three pillars: elegance, balance and freshness. I’m a huge fan of Bordeaux and its blends but in reality, my role models have always been genuine producers who make great wines that are free of trends or prejudice.”
A lover of world politics, 17th-century British philosophy, 1960s rock (The Doors and Led Zeppelin are favourites) and Ayn Rand.
During the harvest you can find him in Los Tilos in La Consulta indulging in a lomita especial and a Stella beer. “As everyone knows, it takes a lot of beer to make good wine…” says Karim.
Located in a beautiful, historic home in Maipú, you can visit the tasting room of Karim Mussi and Bodega Alandes for an intimate wine tasting which can include all of the Karim Mussi wines. Bespoke and custom-made wine tastings are paired with a tour of the winery where you’ll get to taste some of the wines from the barrel too.
Viña Alicia winery is the personal project of the Arizu family, who founded Luigi Bosca winery, with vineyards in Lunlunta and Las Compuertas in Lujan de Cuyo and an assortment of old-vine varieties (some over 110 years old) including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Grenache Noir, Carignan, Albariño and Savagnin.
It was founded by Alicia Mateu Arizu (the wife of one of Argentina’s best-known winemakers, Alberto Arizu) in 1998 and is now run by son Rodrigo Arizu. Paso de Piedra is the second label, and in total the winery produces under 105,000 bottles a year.
Neyen winery is a sister-winery of Veramonte, and focused on producing one singular wine from old vines in Apalta, Colchagua. Planted in 1889, these are very old Cabernet Sauvignon vines (Chile has some of the oldest in the world) and along with a similar proportion of Carmenère, which was grafted in 1936, are blended to make one wine.
Neyen is produced in the beautiful old winery, originally constructed in 1890, and a state-of-the-art modern winery next door. Biodynamic, complex and ageworthy. Wine tours can be combined with nature treks and lunch among the vineyards.