Wenlock Cellars
Bodega Urqo El Mirador Malbec, Valle de Uco 2021
Bodega Urqo El Mirador Malbec, Valle de Uco 2021
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The district of Chacayes, is famously dry, high and austere in terms of farming. Amongst the most mountainous of Uco’s sub districts, Chacayes produces surprisingly floral, bright, juicy wines given that the soil is raw mountain dust.
Production
Finca El Mirador is located in Los Chacayes, one of the best wine regions of Uco Valley. The average elevation here is 1.200 meters above sea level. The soil is very poor with underlaying sand and calcarium alluvial stones. 60% new French oak, 40% steel, both components aged for 14 months before blending, bottled and released after 12 months in bottle. Unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting notes
Highly perfumed, mountain Malbec, the palate is a sublime combination of hoisin notes, lavender plum, bound with silky tannins. A really extraordinary expression of the desert.
Food match
Seared fillet steak, duck breast, sticky ribs, and for vegetarians, try the local Mendozan dish of humita.
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ABV
14.5%
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Bottle Size
75cl
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Region/Country
Uco Valley, Argentina
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Grape
Malbec 100%
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Features
Vegetarian, Vegan, Sustainable
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Closure
Cork
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Winemaker
Leo Pisano
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Appellation
Valle de Uco
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Allergen info
Contains sulphites and no other allergens
Meet the Producer
Not far from the mountain town of Tupungato, the Urquia family have invested in 300 hectares of desert soils shadowed by the immensity of the Argentine Andes. The winery's name, Urqo, elegantly merges the family's surname and the Uco Valley. Urqo's vineyards spread across Los Chacayes and Tupungato districts and benefit from this raw exposure. The high UV and the mean, sandy soils of the desert environment are ideal for producing characterful fruit. The bodega itself is minimalist, a clean white structure designed, in simple terms, to best convey the essence of these grapes.
The wine labels reflect owner Loli Urquia’s deep respect for the earth’s natural energies. Alongside young Uruguayan winemaker Leo Pisano, the small team are overseen by the consultative presence of affable local legend Daniel Pi. Their collaborative efforts yield wines with the aromatic purity of the Andean air and a pronounced mineral quality. This energy and perfume belies the austerity in which they are grown.
A Note on Sustainability
Respect, care, and grow is the vision of Bodega Urqo. They want to carry forward the ideas of environmental care, renewable energy, good practices and of caring for people, in everything they do both in the winery and on the farm. They work organically in the vineyard with formal organic certification on the horizon for some labels.
Bodega Urqo are certified sustainable by Bodegas de Argentinas sustainability protocol and validated by Bureau Veritas Argentina S.A. This achievement reflects their commitment to responsible practices that protect the land, value people, and ensure a better future for their vineyards and the surrounding environment. To become certified, a winery and vineyard must undergo an audit that is carried out by an authorized certification agency. The agency will release a compliance report if the vineyard and winery has successfully passed all the assessments the sustainability protocol has to offer. The program also takes care to emphasize a holistic approach when it comes to sustainability, rigorously inspecting all the environmental, social and economic factors of viticulture before deciding on certifications.
