The Arizu family has been making wine in Mendoza since 1901 and four generations later it is one of the few wineries in Argentina that is still owned by its founders. It is now one of Argentina’s leading estates and was actively involved in the creation of the Luján de Cuyo D.O.C, the first in Argentina.
Luigi Bosca owns seven vineyards located in the province of Mendoza, based around Luján de Cuyo which covers more than 700 hectares; some of the varietals grown date back to the late 19th century when they were brought directly from Europe. They have a laissez faire approach to viticulture (thanks to Mendoza’s low humidity, pure mountain water and fresh breezes) and indeed apply biodynamic principles even though they do not hold certification.
Location
Mendoza
Argentina
Key facts
Size: 700 ha
Altitude: 800 - 1100 m.a.s.l
Annual Rainfall: 200mm
Luigi Bosca
The Finca la Linda wines are Luigi Bosca’s fruit-driven wines that show impressive quality at this price. The Torrontés comes from their vineyard in Cafayate in Salta province that lies at 1700m above sea level. The wine is an excellent example of Torrontés; fermented dry with lifted floral aromas of white peach and orange zest, balanced by crisp acidity and is not over sweetly perfumed, like some. The Malbec comes from 30-year-old vineyards and is our best selling red wine. It is velvety, well structured and boasts a fantastic morello cherry and spice character. New to the list this year is the Bonarda, a medium-bodied and velvety wine with soft ripe tannins and dried fig character.
The Luigi Bosca range covers a wide variety of wines from, among others, the Luigi Bosca Malbec to the D.O.C Single Vineyard Malbec, one of the first single vineyard Malbecs in Argentina that comes from the 80-year-old vines of the Vistalba vineyard. This Malbec is delicately spiced, with notes of mocha and blackberries and has an elegant, yet firm structure.
The Finca Los Nobles wines have even more complexity and structure. The Chardonnay comes from 90-year-old vines and has exquisite aromas of tropical fruit with a touch of honey; half of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation and is aged on its lees. The Cabernet Bouchet is a field blend of Bouchet, a clone of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is intense and robust, with aromas of cassis and green pepper. Icono is Luigi Bosca’s flagship wine, a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the capacity to age for at least 25 years. It has huge complexity with aromas of black fruit, ripe plum, and cassis with an elegant and refined violet, floral bouquet.
All the Gala wines are blends from the best Bosca vineyards. Gala 3 is an unusual blend of 50% Viognier, 40% Chardonnay and 10% Riesling that stands out for its uplifted floral aromas, white peach and apricot fruit and delicate notes of vanilla. Gala 4 is arguably one of the best Cabernet Franc blends to have come out of Argentina. It is made up of 95% Cabernet Franc; the remaining 5% Malbec gives the wine a more rounded mouth-feel. It has the ageing potential of 15 years or more.
Recommended Wines
Gala 2 2008 – 91 Points Wine Advocate
Gala 2 2009– 90 Points Stephen Tanzer
Icono, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon 2007– 92 Points, Wine Advocate, 91 Points Stephen Tanzer