Deep purple color; plum, cherry, blackberry, balsamic, cinnamon, clove, oak notes—coffee, vanilla, some smoke, earth on the nose and palate.
Dry (2.92 g/L RS); amenable, fine tannins; soft, good acidity (3.4 pH; 4.1 g/L TA). Full body; plush, rich, voluptuous body. Chalky elements on the mid-palate through medium-plus finish. Disjointed on pop-and-pour, but integrates quickly and becomes smoother with air. Decant, or give it some time and swirling in large glass. Hand-harvested; 100% malbec; grapes come from estate vineyards in Las Compuertas, Vistalba, and Agrelo. The 70-year-old vines are in well-drained limestone and silt soils at 3,150 feet altitude. Wine was made by engineer Alberto Arizu and winemaker Pablo Cúneo. 14% ABV
Cold maceration for five-to-seven days at 46º-50º F. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel (45º-82º F) with plunging and rack and return (délestage, which exposes the wine to more oxygen, primarily to soften tannins and produce roundness). Aged 12 months in oak with full malolactic conversion. Wine then filtered, bottled, and held for minimum of six months before release.
With four generations of winemaking in Europe behind him, Leoncio Arizu arrived in Argentina in 1890 and settled in Mendoza. In 1901, he founded Bodega Luici Bosca in Luján de Cuyo. The second generation, Saturnino, joined the winery in 1933, followed by Alberto Arizu Sr., the third generatin in 1963, and Alberto Arizu Jr., the fourth generation in 1992. The name honors a partnership with a Piedmontese wine-making family, the Boscas. Luigi Bosca remains a 100% owned and operated winery by the Arizu family today.
The Arizus were early pioneers of European varieties—including malbec, cabernet sauvignon, and chardonnay in the high-altitude vineyards of Mendoza. Alberto Arizu Sr. led the creation of Argentina’s first Denominación de Origen Controlada (DOC) for Luján de Cuyo malbec—this wine’s designation—in the 1980s and 1990s. Today the winery is considered one of Argentina’s “great wine” producers. In 2025, Wine Enthusiast named Luigi Bosca the 2025 New World Winery of the Year. The winery champions sustainability and biodiversity, with Bodegas de Argentina certification and participation in Argentina’s Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec, Luján de Cuyo DOC, Mendoza 2023 is an impressive presentation of upper-end Argentine malbec. Dark fruits, palate friendly, especially after some exposure to air. If you enjoy malbec, you certainly will enjoy this from an internationally celebrated winery. $25-30
Pairing—Grilled, roasted red meat; ribeye, sirloin, other well-marbled cuts. Rack of lamb with sautéed mushrooms. Argentine-style asado or mixed grill—beef empanads, chorizo, morcilla, other mixed meats. Braised short ribs or osso-buco; heavy pastas and stews, rich beef ragù, mushroom lasagna. Avoid light, delicate fish or seafood. Cheese—Semi-hard cow’s milk cheese, aged gouda, manchego, mild-aged cheddar (especially smoked). Hard cheeses, aged gouda, montasio-style cheese. Can work with milder blues—gorgonzola, cambozola.
