Piedra Negra is the emblematic winery of Bordeaux vigneron François Lurton. Lurton was the pioneer of Los Chacayes, purchasing 150 hectares of virgin territory for his Piedra Negra estate in 1996. Today Los Chacayes has gone on to earn its own GI status impulsed by Lurton; and Piedra Negra has gone on to earn a well-deserved reputation as a leader in the Uco Valley. French winemaker Thibault Lepoutre has been in the cellar since 2012 and the growing range includes age-worthy Chacayes, L’Esprit de Chacayes and Piedra Negra red wines, with the Gran Lurton white blend also particularly noteworthy. Arroyo Grande, Reserve and Alta Colleción complete the band.

 

About Piedra Negra

Bodega Piedra Negra is François Lurton’s winery in Argentina, in the Los Chacayes region of the Uco Valley. With both Malbec and Cot planted, the majority of the production at Piedra Negra winery is red wine however it is also worth hunting down their Sauvignon Vert-based white blend. The estate has 200 hectares (99 of which are planted and managed by organic and biodynamic farming). François Lurton also owns Hacienda Araucano in Chile.

The winery is certified 100% organic since 2016 and is one of the first wineries in Uco Valley to be organic. Piedra Negra is also one of the few wineries to produce wines from old Côt vines and Pinot Gris (made into white, rosé and bubbly!) You can taste them all on a visit to this handsome winery in the heart of Uco.

 

About the Piedra Negra vineyards

After searching extensively across several regions of Argentina, François Lurton planted his vineyard at high altitude in the Uco Valley, in the foothills of the Andes Cordillera, in semi-desert conditions.

Finca Los Chacayes, is located in the foothills of the Cordillera at an altitude of 1,100 m.a.s.l in poor soil that consists mainly of alluvial gravel. Piedra Negra is certified organic, applies some biodynamic practices and is currently in the process of obtaining the biodynamic certification.

Piedra Negra has 130 hectares of grape varieties planted, including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and 45 hectares of Pinot Gris which is used to make white, rose and sparkling wines. Among the 130 hectares, Piedra Negra also has 3 hectares of Tokaij Friulano which is used to make their iconic white wine since 2006, Gran Lurton Corte Friulano. This is a white blend dominated by Tokaij Friulano and fermented and aged in French oak and porcelain amphoras.

In terms of red grapes, the winery also has 25 hectares of Cot, the French version of the Malbec grape, which is used to give tension, depth and elegance to their Malbec blends. The Chacayes blend, Piedra Negra’s iconic red wine, is made with 50% Cot.

The vines are among the oldest in the Los Chacayes region.

About Piedra Negra wines

CHACAYES

Chacayes is Piedra Negra’s most iconic wine. This rich, concentrated blend of Malbec and Cot comes from the best plots of the Finca Chacayes and is aged for 15 months in oak. It is an ageworthy red which cellars well for decades.

PIEDRA NEGRA

Piedra Negra Gran Malbec is a blend of Côt and Malbec made with grapes from various terroirs and altitudes around Mendoza. This wine is aged for 15 months in oak and winemaker Thibault Lepoutre is striving for finesse and elegance in this wine.

GRAN LURTON

This line includes the Gran Lurton Blanco and Tinto. Gran Lurton Blanc is one of the best known white blends in Argentina – a blend of Tokaij Friulano and Sauvignon Blanc. It is a complex and refreshing white wine which ages well.

Gran Lurton Tinto is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This was the first wine launched by François Lurton and represents Piedra Negra’s earliest production in the Uco Valley. The winery can offer a vertical tasting of nearly 20 vintages of this blend!

ARROYO GRANDE – ESPRIT DE CHACAYES

The Esprit de Chacayes is an organic blend of Malbec and Cot. This wine is a pure expression of the Chacayes terroir, it is aged for a few months in amphoras and has no sulfites.

RESERVE

The Reserve line is made up of two varieties, Pinot Gris and Malbec, which are aged in barrels to add some complexity.

ALTA COLLECION – VUELÁ

The Alta Colección range includes a fresh white Pinot Gris wine, a delicate Pinot Gris rosé and a juicy red Malbec.

PASITEA

Pasitea is Piedra Negra’s late harvest wine made from Pinot Gris grapes. It is a delicate and sweet wine made in certain vintages.

 

About the winemaker, Thibault Lepoutre

Thibault is one of the leading winemakers in Los Chacayes and has been one of the main instigators of the Los Chacayes GI and association.

Having studied agronomy and enology in France, he worked as a winemaker in Ukraine, Brazil and Portugal before coming to Argentina in 2011 to become Chief Winemaker at Bodega Piedra Negra.

His philosophy at work consists in working the vines, using the grapes’ and yeasts’ natural resources, such as skins and lees, and limiting the use of winemaking products in the winery.

 

Visiting Piedra Negra

Piedra Negra is open for tourism and offers a wide range of activities: dynamic visit (you’ll taste different wines as you take a tour through the winery), premium tasting (a tasting of Piedra Negra’s premium wines), blind tasting (particularly fun for a group of friends and family), and VIP tastings, among others.

 

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You can book any of these activities on Piedra Negra’s website

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Wine Shop

Piedra Negra’s wine shop is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm.

 

 

What’s the difference between Cot and Malbec? An interview with François Lurton