On a Site Steeped in History High Quality Wines Arise
Bodegas Mendel, located next to one of the oldest Malbec vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, Argentina
Jan de Weerd
This will hide itself!
On a Site Steeped in History High Quality Wines Arise
Bodegas Mendel, located next to one of the oldest Malbec vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, Argentina
On our discovery tour through the wine country of Mendoza, Argentina, we visited Bodegas Mendel in Luján de Cuyo. Our intent was to just taste and learn about their wine. But when we entered this historic site and the peace and calm it radiated, we changed our mind right then and there and pulled out our cameras. It felt special and we wanted to see if we could capture it.
An historic site and one of the prestigious wine regions of Argentina
The original winery is over 110 years old right right next to one of the the oldest Malbec vineyards of Argentina, planted in 1928 in the wine district of Mayor Drummond. Mendel's other nearly 100 year old estate vineyard is in the Perdriel district, one of the most prestigious wine regions in Argentina. This district is known for its high-altitude vineyards at 1000 meters above sea level, or 3,300 feet, with alluvial soils rich in clay and famous for their excellently structured, concentrated, full bodied Malbec wines.
Finca Mendel - The 1928 planted Malbec vineyard
Mendel and a legendary winemaker
New owners came in 20 years ago and renamed the winery Mendel after the owners father’s given name (….who was not related to the Austrian monk who discovered the fundamental laws of inheritance through genes, in case you were wondering, like I was 😁). The new family owners hired Roberto de la Mota one of the most respected and experienced winemakers in Argentina, who set Mendel on a track of making high quality wines. Roberto was awarded ‘2024 legendary winemaker’ by Tim Atkins.
The winery uses grapes from three distinctly different vineyards. In addition to the 10 has vineyard on site - Finca Mendel in the Mayor Drummond district, they own a nearby vineyard, Finca de los Andes, in the Perdriel district with 4 has of Malbec and 2 has of Cabernet Sauvignon that had just recently received DOC certification status as one of only 12 vineyards in Mendoza. The third vineyard is in Valle de Uco with a variety of Bordeaux style grapes including the white wine grape Semillion Blanc. All the wines we tasted were quality wines. Their mainstay Malbec for about $20 was as I remembered drinking it back in 2017, a quality, balanced flavorful Malbec.
Elena Drannikow, our wonderful, passionate host telling the story of Mendel Wines
The wines that stood out to us
Other wines that stood out to us was their absolutely gorgeous (inside and out) rosé made from a blend of Bordeaux grape varieties grown at their Altamira vineyard in Valle de Uco. Fresh, elegant, structured, and super balanced on the finish. Yum! And of course we couldn't leave without purchasing one of their exclusive (pricy 🥴) Malbec wines from the freshly minted DOC certified vineyard in Pierdriel. Cheers!!
