Altaluvia
The region of Gualtallary lies at between 1,200m and 1,600m above sea level in the Uco Valley of the Tupungato district: it has the highest vineyards of Mendoza and is one of the most exciting new wine regions of Argentina, only planted from 1994 onwards. A sequence of natural events at 1350 mts above sea level in the Tupungato district is the cause of the unique nature of Gualtallary, which resulted in the creation of a hill at the end west of the vineyard. This hill diverted a river and preserved the area from floods which, with time, was transformed into a privileged area for the creation of a selection of outstanding varietals.
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The Alluvia vineyard is in the heart of Gualtallary, at 1,350m. This high altitude not only means that it benefits from cool temperatures during the day and night, but also that the sunlight carries extra intensity due to the thin atmosphere. The vineyard was planted with a vertical trellising system in 2007, and is drip-irrigated with water from summer snowmelt from the Andes. The soils are alluvial (hence the name), formed by deposits of stones and sand brought from the Andes by the Las Tunas river. This alluvial material, accumulated over thousands of years, has a high proportion of limestone. The grapes produced here, under the watchful eye of head of viticulture, Martin Kaiser, are the result of the combination of these natural factors together with the very poor soils that restrict the availability of water and nutrients.
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The result of all this is a slow but full ripening process yielding very flavourful and concentrated grapes, from which winemaker Andrea Tansini is making gorgeous wines that are concentrated yet fresh and elegant. There are four highly characterful varietal wines: Chardonnay, Riesling, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc.
