Argentina Was Made Malbec Into Its Signature Wine By Pioneer Luigi Bosca

Forbes

14-05-2025

Only in this century has the European grape Malbec shown itself to be worthy of being enjoyed as more than a Bordeaux blending varietal. Indeed, today it is the dominant grape that has come to define Argentina's fine wine industry and global reach. Crucial to Malbec's rise in favor and quality was the Bodega Luigi Bosca, whose international sales director, Roberto Meli, and winemaker Pablo Cúneo I interviewed in New York.
How long has Malbec been recognized as perhaps the premier grape in Argentina, and why?
Cúneo: Malbec has been cultivated in Argentina since the mid-19th century when the original plants came from pre-phylloxera populations brought over from France. They multiplied and did extraordinarily well in adapting to the terroir of Mendoza and Argentina.
Although in the 1950s Malbec accounted for only 22.5% of Argentina's vineyard surface, it wasn't truly appreciated until the late 1980s. Over time, this led to the development of a unique, diverse, and high-quality population, making Malbec a viticultural heritage of our country. Until then, all wine produced was consumed domestically. Then, Argentine viticulture began looking for international markets, so we needed to identify a type of wine or a grape that could deliver quality and distinguish us internationally. Malbec emerged as a variety capable of producing expressive, high-quality wines with a distinctive character.
The first concrete step in elevating Malbec's status was the creation of the Luján de Cuyo Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC), which not only highlighted the grape but also the old Malbec vineyards and the Lujan de Cuyo region. Leoncio Arizu came from fourth generations of pioneering winemakers in Europe, and settle Mendoza, where he found Luján de Cuyo reminded him of his native land, so he became deeply inspired and began planting vineyards with European vines, including Malbec. Under the guidance of the Arizu family, Luigi Bosca became a driving force and founding promoter of Argentina's first DOC.
From the late 1990s, Malbec established itself as Argentina's flagship variety. Owing to its ability to produce deeply colored wines with expressive fruit and a smooth, silky texture that quickly won over consumers in Argentina and abroad. It is also a variety capable of producing wines across various price points without losing its identity or character.
Pablo Cuneo is winemaker for Luigi Bosca
Luigi Bosca
What does adding Cabernet Sauvignon do for Malbec?
Cúneo: Malbec naturally has a deep color and low tannin levels, which gives it its smooth and fleshy texture. When blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, it gains body and structure, thanks to the latter's tannins. Aromatically, Cabernet Sauvignon contributes richness and complexity, adding spicy, peppery and herbal notes.
When did you begin focusing on Chardonnay? Your Chardonnay De Sangre is a blend with two other varietals. Why?
Cúneo: At Luigi Bosca, we've been making Chardonnay since the 1980s; the first vintage was in 1986, and it became a benchmark for the variety in Argentina. De Sangre White Blend is a wine based on Chardonnay (50%) with Semillon (35%) and Sauvignon Blanc (15%). With this wine, we aim to express the high-altitude character of our mountain vineyards through aromatic freshness and mineral acidity, as well as the harmony and flavor richness achieved by blending Chardonnay with the other two varieties.
Semillon adds herbal aromas, weight, and sweetness on the palate entry, while Sauvignon Blanc brings freshness, acidity, and tension to the mouthfeel. The result is a wine with great aromatic complexity and consistency on the palate.
Paraiso is Luigi Bosca's new flagship wine.
Luigi Bosca
Paraiso is now your newest red wine and your most expensive. What is unique about it?
Cúneo: Paraiso is a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced each year from selected plots within our best vineyards in Mendoza. It reflects the Luigi Bosca style, which is defined by purity of aroma, complexity, harmony, and elegance. To craft Paraiso, we taste over 800 barrels or lots of wine and select those that best embody our style.
The name pays tribute to "El Paraíso," the house where four generations of the Arizu family lived and where the entire Luigi Bosca story and inspiration began.
Cúneo: The alcohol levels of your wines seem quite reasonable at a time when so many other producers aim for 14.5%. How have you maintained your levels, especially with global warming?
Wine's expression and grace depend on the balance of all its components. Alcohol contributes weight, volume, and warmth, but if it's not balanced with the rest, it can negatively impact the grape's typicity and terroir expression.
The combination of vineyard location, vineyard management and the timing of the harvest are fundamental factors in achieving balanced ripeness with moderate alcohol levels.
To reach this, we start with vineyards located in temperate to cool, high-altitude areas that are balanced in terms of production. We aim for controlled yields and water management that allow the vine to work efficiently and healthily.
The decision of when to harvest is crucial for ensuring varietal and terroir expression while avoiding over-ripeness. We begin sensory and analytical monitoring of the grapes more than a month before harvest. At this stage, it's essential to be out in the vineyard, walking it, and staying closely attuned to its development.
How do the climates of Argentina and Chile—both along the Andes—differ?
Cúneo: The main difference between the winegrowing climates of Argentina and Chile is that Argentina has a strictly continental climate with no ocean influence, while Chile has a maritime-influenced climate thanks to the Pacific Ocean. Argentina's wine regions stretch from 23° to 45° south latitude, at the foot of the Andes. The terroir conditions are defined by a desert climate—dry, with naturally healthy conditions for grape growing, strong sunlight, and high temperatures. Irrigation is essential and, when combined with the region's alluvial soils low in organic matter, becomes a powerful tool for vineyard management. Elevation is the only way to seek cooler climate conditions and balance latitude. In short, Argentina's wines combine mountain coolness with intense sun, resulting in wines with energy, color, concentration, and freshness.
In Chile, the main temperature regulator is the Pacific Ocean.
Argentina has the highest rate of inflation in the world. How does the wine industry cope with that? Are all international sales in U.S. dollars?
Meli: Operating from Argentina does come with well-known macroeconomic challenges. In our case, we try to stay focused on what we can control: the quality of our wines, building a strong brand, and working closely with our international partners. Most of our exports are handled in U.S. dollars, which provides a more stable basis for planning. In the end, what keeps us moving forward is consistency year after year, offering wines with identity and authenticity that resonate with consumers at a stable price.
According to the president of Wines of Argentina, Alejandro Vigil, 'Argentina has gone through a complicated economic process, with an extremely backward dollar and serious supply problems . . . especially in markets like the United States at the base of our pyramid, in wines that are below $35 per case, which is practically impossible to export, given the dollar we currently have. . . and where wine consumption has decreased sharply, especially for countries like ours.' How are you coping with these problems?
Meli: Entry-level wines are indeed under pressure in today's environment, especially in competitive markets like the U.S. Our focus has always been on the premium segment, where there's more room to build long-term value and where quality is clearly recognized and can support the increasing costs. At the same time, we believe success in any market comes from strong local partnerships. We work closely with our importers and distributors to adapt our strategy—adjusting pricing, portfolio, and trade programs based on the market context. It's a hands-on approach, but it's what allows us to keep growing.
How do you feel the Trump tariffs will affect Argentina's wine industry?
Meli: There's always some uncertainty when the rules change, but we prefer to focus on the fundamentals. U.S. consumers are increasingly drawn to wines with character and authenticity—that doesn't change with a tariff. If new trade measures come into play, we'll adapt alongside our partners. The most important thing is to maintain strong, long-term relationships, deliver on our promises, and continue to rely on quality as our main driver.
You have a history of progressively buying more vineyard land over the past couple of decades. Where do you see Luigi Bosca positioned five years from now?
Meli: Luigi Bosca owns 530 hectares (1,309 acres) of vineyards located in the various oasis of Mendoza. Many are old, high-quality vineyards in areas like Vistalba (Luján de Cuyo), along with newer ones in the Uco Valley. We also source grapes from neighboring growers and other regions, maintaining long-term relationships with them. This approach allows us to ensure both diversity and quality in our grape supply.
Looking ahead, we're not planning to substantially increase our vineyard surface. Instead, we want to strengthen our ties with our current growers and, perhaps, plant new vineyards in specific high-altitude areas of the Uco Valley.