Cuvelier Los Andes – Coleccion

The History

Seven friends meet in Argentina to plant grapevines together on an exceptional estate which melds harmoniously into the exquisite environment. Furrows, aqueducts, dikes, and underground cabling: The creation of this vineyard is a massive undertaking in which each stroke of the pick is meaningful. In 1998, the oenologist Michel Rolland and Jean-Michel Arcaute (wine-grower, recently deceased) decided to go into business. Argentina offers space, the possibility to plant without restriction, and promising results in the end: a quality wine from fine soil at an excellent price. Their arguments were strong enough to unite seven investors, all wine-growers (Catherine Pere-Verge, owner of Chateau Monviel at Pomerol; Laurent Dassaut, owner at Saint-Emilion; Bertrand Otto, representative of La Compagnie Vinicole E. Rotschild; and Bertrand Cuvelier) to a remarkable viniculture project in the province of Mendoza. It would be at Vistaflores, an estate covering 847 hectares of vineyards, in the commune of Tunuyan, located 80km south of the city of Mendoza. Divided into seven Bodegas, the group was named Le Clos de los Siete (Vineyard of the Seven). The goal: optimise the yield of the fine soil, worthy of the world’s finest red wines. To succeed in this, Michel Rolland left nothing to chance. The vineyard is vertically trained with a density of 5500 feet per hectare, corresponding to 1.80 m x 1 m spacing, the historical density of old Malbec, which made the reputation of this variety

The Vineyard

The estate is protected from alluvial waters by dikes. The ground consists of
sand, clay, and stone, and faces northward, the sunniest direction in the southern
hemisphere. Dikes and the bolstering of dry “rio” walls defend the estate against
the action of waters which, while rare, can pour with incredible intensity. Irrigation of the grapevines is crucial to Vistaflores: water is supplied under consistent pressure at the intake of each plot, thanks to sluice gates and relay-pumps installed inside the aqueduct, and governed by computer control in a command room

Tasting Notes

62% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 8% Syrah & 3% Petit Verdot.
Intense red purplish color, with red fruits and spicy aromas. The palate is charming,
powerful and tasty, with a velvety texture and round tannins with a lingering finish

Awards

90 POINTS WINE ADVOCATE

 

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