Luján de Cuyo, Viñas Viejas y un Mosaico de Suelos

Luján de Cuyo: Old Vines and a Patchwork of Soils

BY JOAQUÍN HIDALGO | JANUARY 12, 2023

Ripe, voluminous reds, velvety tannins and expansive palates. These were the qualities that Malbec brought to the table when the variety’s rise to glory began around twenty years ago. Since the focus was solely on Malbec, the industry assumed that the grape rather than the region gave the style to the wines. Today, we know better: it was the profile for fine Malbecs produced explicitly in the Luján de Cuyo region.

A lot of wine has been drunk since then. So much so that Luján de Cuyo has come full circle and is now back center stage. There are plenty of reasons why the region located just 12 miles south of Mendoza city is again on everyone’s lips. Still, one stands out more: the region’s old vines, now being reassessed from a terroir-based perspective, lend a new dimension to a variety that is famously easy on the palate. Luján de Cuyo has also become a visitor hub, full of gastronomic and hospitality options at every price point. 

Therefore, this is an excellent time to do a special report on Luján de Cuyo. With around 15,000 hectares under vine, Luján is the second largest wine producing Department in Mendoza, accounting for 10% of the province. Of these, 2,700 hectares are at least 40-year-old vines, of which 1,650 are Malbec. In 2021, the Luján de Cuyo Denomination of Origin relaunched the region as a producer of fine wine. Originally established in 1989, the denomination is the only one of its kind in Argentina, with new producers joining in 2022.

Meanwhile, districts like the historic Las Compuertas are thriving on new investments. Agrelo, the productive heart of Luján, is experiencing a revival, in contrast to other areas where old vineyards are threatened by the city's expansion and its private communities. I tasted more than 250 wines for this report. Something has become clear: Luján de Cuyo produces easygoing but complex reds with ripe and occasionally liqueur-like qualities. This is where the international boom began for Argentine wine and where it is now evolving with greater segmentation of regions and more precisely executed styles.     

Because it is so close to the city of Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo is easy to visit. Oenotourism here is booming, and there are plenty of restaurants and activities ranging from basic to luxury, such as the exclusive restaurant opened by Bodega Catena in December 2022.

Luján de Cuyo: Defined by Its Waterways

If you look down at the City of Mendoza from the air, you’ll notice a series of arteries and canals leading from an elevated area right where the Mendoza River flows into the plains on the northern side. This area, known as Las Compuertas, is 3,600 feet above sea level. For that reason, it marks the beginning of the region’s irrigation network: from there, channels and acequias branch out across the entire northern oasis. Luján de Cuyo is also known as Primera Zona (The First Zone, which includes a part of Maipú) because it’s the first irrigated area. It’s also a lush green, contrasting the surrounding desert and mountainscape.

Districts such as Las Compuertas, Vistalba, Drummond and Carrodilla – which I’ll describe later – are connected by primary and secondary channels along which vines were planted in the mid-19th century. This makes the landscape of Luján de Cuyo so special: sheltered by poplars, elms and mulberry trees, the avenues and streets that lead to the vines provide plenty of shade. Sheltered by this leafy canopy in the torrid summers, one finds wineries, vineyards and neighborhoods scattered with ancient olive trees. There couldn’t be a more significant contrast with the Uco Valley.

From the same aerial vantage point, you’ll also notice that the landscape south of the Mendoza River is quite different. The districts of Perdriel and Agrelo are pretty rural, although the former is urbanizing rapidly. The availability of land, especially in Agrelo, has allowed for experimentation with vines outside of the traditional irrigated areas. Thanks to drip irrigation, Alto Agrelo was born, with vineyards planted in new, virgin soils. However, the area has hit the ceiling: since 2013, it has been forbidden to drill more wells, meaning one must close before a new one can be opened. 

The Terroirs of Luján de Cuyo

The Mendoza River, the region’s main water source, flows into the plain at the edge of the Precordillera range – an older and lower formation than the Andes, which runs along Argentina’s north/south axis before ending here – splitting the department of Luján de Cuyo in two. To the north, from Las Compuertas to Drummond, we find the alluvial terraces of the river with its pebbles and fine layers of clay and lime, which were mainly deposited by the river. To the south, Perdriel is located on a similarly stony stretch of alluvial terraces, while Agrelo is formed by a flood plain from the river. Where the former has soils reminiscent of Maipo Alto or Southern Rhône, the latter has 20 feet of pure clay in the middle of a desert, similar to Pomerol, albeit different.

Because the wine-growing area in Luján de Cuyo is between an altitude of 3,900 and 2,900 feet above sea level, it has lower temperature variations than in places like the Uco Valley. Here, it’s the soils and the age of the vines that make the difference. These two parameters allow us to draw a simple map of the different terroirs in the area. And this is the purpose of the relaunched Luján de Cuyo D.O.C.: to give visibility to previously overlooked districts.

In Luján de Cuyo, the shores of the Mendoza River provide typical alluvial soil in the first terraces. This vineyard was planted in 2018 by Bandini House of Wine on the border between Las Compuertas and Vistalba.

North of the Mendoza River – Las Compuertas & Vistalba

These two districts are widely planted with old vineyards, some of which date back to 1900, covering about 500 hectares, mainly with Malbec. The reds tend to be ripe with velvety tannins thanks to the coarse gravel and good depth of the soils.