In London to promote the launch of Paraiso, the pinnacle of Luigi Bosca’s offering, Harpers sat down with head winemaker Pablo Cúneo (pictured) to discuss what makes Luján de Cuyo so special and what the future holds for the pioneering winery.
Founded in 1901, Luigi Bosca is a fourth-generation family wine business run by the Arizu family. For more than a century, the company has produced the most sophisticated expressions and characteristics of the Mendoza terroir.
Cunéo said: “The way the Arizu family makes wine has constantly been evolving; we always say the best wines are the wines of the future; that is why we are not afraid to try new methods because, throughout our 120-year history, we have been pioneers.
“So yes, Luigi Bosca is steeped in tradition, but this doesn’t prevent us from evolving. For example, we were the first vineyard in Argentina to produce Sauvignon Blanc and the first producers to make high-end varietals for the Argentinean market.”
The eight vineyards owned by the Arizu family are situated in the most renowned terroirs of Mendoza: Luján de Cuyo, Maipú and the Uco Valley. The different varieties harvested there were brought from Europe during the last decade of the 19th century, so today’s wines are the result of the selection of the best characteristics of those old family vineyards.
Cunéo said: “The people who work on our vineyards have done so for many years, which is good because they understand the heritage of Luigi Bosca and how the vines behave based on the different agricultural variables.”
Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C was the first Argentine CDO-certified wine; thus, it was regarded as the archetype of the Luján de Cuyo’s spirit. Every year since 1991, wines have been made using grapes grown in 70-year-old vineyards planted in the town of Vistalba, 960m high.
Cunéo said: “It might surprise you to learn that the first wine we produced under the Luigi Bosca brand in the 70s was a Cabernet Sauvignon because that was the most prestigious grape in Argentina at the time.
“Of course, Malbec is our flagship. I always say that God has blessed us to have a single grape that represents Argentina; not all winemaking countries can claim to be so synonymous with one grape variety.
“Nevertheless, Argentina is becoming much more diverse. Here at Luigi Bosca we are producing wines using Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Bouchet, Chardonnay, Semillon and many more.”
This week Pablo Cunéo is presenting his most beloved creation to the UK market, the 2019 Paraiso, Luigi Bosca’s most important wine.
Cunéo said: “This wine pays tribute to Finca El Paraíso, an important vineyard in the history of Luigi Bosca and the site of many important innovations.
“The wine is balanced and elegant, with complex fruity notes reminiscent of red fruits and spices. It is smooth on the palate, and its persistent finish allows us to perceive its ageing potential.
“It has already been made available to the UK on-trade, and we are very excited to be launching this special wine.”
Paraiso
Vineyards: Grapes grown in select plots from Gualtallary, Tupungato (45.2%), Altamira, San Carlos (34%) and Los Árboles, Tunuyán (20,8%), Uco Valley. Vineyards are located between 1,000 and 1,200 meters.
Winemaker: Pablo Cúneo
Agronomists: Ing. Alberto Arizu Sr. and Pablo Minatelli
Varieties: 71% Malbec and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 15° PH: 3.55
Total acidity: 5.70 g/l Residual sugar: 2.73g/l