Clean, non-oaked, fruit-forward 100% Malbec. It is made with grapes harvested from many vines that are 100-plus years old, tended by two brothers making a name for themselves in Argentine wine. Nice combination. $30-34
The grapes come from Finca Victoria in Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. The vineyard was established more than a century ago at 3,445 feet elevation, making it one of the oldest and highest vineyards in Luján de Cuyo. The “Cinco Suelos”—five soils—mention on the label refers to five different soil types where the vines grow: deep clay loam, silty loam, stony loam, sandy loam, and river-stone loam. The fruit from the vines grown in each soil type were fermented and aged separately, predominantly in unlined concrete eggs. The five batches were blended for bottling.
Héctor and Pablo Durigutti earned degrees in oenology from the prestigious Catholic University of Cuyo’s Don Bosco wine school. The brothers went separate ways in their wine careers, but with a shared goal of eventually working together. In 2002, Héctor and Pablo created Durigutti Family Winemakers.
They soon experienced success. Decanter described Héctor and Pablo as “rising stars in a wine scene dominated by large wineries.” In 2023, Tim Atkin MW named the brothers Winemakers of the Year. But, before the acclaim, the brothers executed a crucial move when they acquired land they had sought from the beginning of their partnership.
Las Compuertas is a historic corridor along the Mendoza River in Luján de Cuyo. Luján de Cuyo is one of Argentina’s oldest wine regions, but in the 1970s and 1980s, things were adrift in the region’s wine business—the entire nation of Argentina, for that matter. Desperate for tonnage, which is not the forte of ancient vines, Luján de Cuyo farmers pulled out old vines to replant with more vigorous “modern” varieties. Fortunately, not everyone was desperate.
The Durigutti brothers acquired their first parcel in the corridor in 2007 and began adding to it. Today, their 84-acre property has some 50 acres under vine. And, oh, what magic those acres hold—ungrafted Malbec and Cabernet Franc vines planted in 1914 and still producing. Rather than replanting with modern clones, the brothers chose to restore and celebrate the ancient vines and build their premium portfolio around them.
Beginning in 2010, the brothers acquired more corridor land. They established Proyecto Las Compuertas as their home base beginning in 2017. The brothers say they pushed for 100% sustainability from the start, and in 2021 they gained full organic certification. They continue to explore high-altitude Altamira sites in the Uco Valley, a region Héctor began scouting as early as 2008, before it became fashionable.
And Luján de Cuyo, rich in history, poor in quality in the last century? Argentine winemakers cleaned up their acts. They realized Argentina’s wine future was in quality and distinctiveness, not bulk barrels of cheap plonk. It worked. In the 21st century, Luján de Cuyo and the general Mendoza region is known as “the heart of Malbec.” The Durigutti brothers are part of that transformation.
Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Cinco Suelos Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2019: Medium ruby color; black raspberry, blackberry tea, black plum, boysenberry, red licorice, cocoa, violets on the nose and palate.
Dry; discreet tannins and balancing acidity. Medium body; not heavy or oaky thanks to fermentation and aging in concrete eggs. Plush, velvety texture in the mouth. This is an unadorned Malbec that checks off all the Malbec boxes like a Master of Wine cheat sheet. Imagine yourself as a vine putting out Malbec grapes for the last hundred years. You might know a thing or two about how to survive, how to reward the grape farmers who tend to your needs, how to taste like an Argentine Malbec. And so it is here. The Durigutti brothers deliver a smooth, laid-back winner. 13.5% ABV
Pairing—Grilled steak, herb-crusted rack of lamb, tangy pulled pork, empanadas, hearty pasta with meat-based sauces, braised duck legs, wild boar, venison. Cheese—Aged cheddar, Manchego, Idiazábal, aged Gouda, Gruyère, Asiago, Morbier. Avoid delicate cheeses, mozzarella, ricotta, high-acid fresh chèvre.
