On our wine tour through Argentina we spent a day with winemaker Ramiro Maures. He and his mother own Pulmary, an organic winery in Chacras de Coria, Luján de Cuyo, just south of the city of Mendoza. Ramiro is like his wine: expressive, energetic, demanding the center of attention, yet with layers of complexity to discover the longer you stay with it. All the characteristics of a true Leo, which he happened to be.

An Organic Malbec With Two Very Different Personalities

Pulmary's organic Malbec is expressive because it gives the grape room to show more than one side of itself. In Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo region, Ramiro makes Malbec from a family vineyard that was certified organic in 1998, when very few producers in the area were thinking seriously about organic farming.

The contrast becomes clear when tasting two versions of the wine from the same source. The younger Malbec, fermented and aged for about six months in concrete, is vivid and immediate, an explosion of fruit and flavor that lingers long after the sip. The reserve version spends more time in oak, gaining vanilla, cedar, tobacco, and rounded tannins, but also needing more time for the oak to settle around the fruit.

That difference is the real Pulmary lesson: organic farming does not create one fixed style. It gives the winemaker a place and a healthy vineyard to work with. Ramiro's job is then to decide how much of the wine's energy should remain fresh and direct, and how much should be shaped by time and oak.

How Did It All Start?

Ramiro's parents planted a vineyard in Medrano, a small village 45 kilometers southeast of Luján de Cuyo. The family certified its vineyard organic in 1998, making it one of Mendoza's early organic winegrowing projects, at a time when very few in the region even talked about organic farming. The initial intent was to sell the grapes to other producers, but Ramiro's mother, who was an art teacher, followed her own calling to make wine. Ramiro continued that path, leaving law school to enroll in the enology program at the National University of Cuyo.

Ramiro Maures and his mother outside Bodega Pulmary in Mendoza

That family history matters because Pulmary is not built around a formula imported from somewhere else. It is a small Mendoza story about a mother who wanted to make her own wine and a son who chose to continue the work.

What Makes Pulmary's Malbec Different?

Pulmary's wines are shaped by three decisions: organic vineyard farming, the Maures family's hands-on approach, and a willingness to compare different winemaking choices rather than treat Malbec as a single fixed style.

Ramiro describes winemaking as "starting with nature, sprinkling it with science, and applying art." The phrase is useful because it explains the balance in the wines: the vineyard provides the raw energy, science provides control, and the winemaker decides what to preserve or shape.

Concrete vs. Oak: Two Expressions of the Same Malbec

One of the most interesting parts of the visit was comparing a 2023 Malbec bottled straight from the concrete vat, where it was fermented and aged for about six months, to a two-year-older reserve expression of the same wine that had aged for about 18 months in 60% new American oak. The American oak imparts more coconut and vanilla flavors that Ramiro believes better complement Malbec.

Both wines come from the exact same vineyard source and are high-quality wines, something that becomes clear from the first sip through to the lingering aftertaste. The unwooded, fresh wine is an explosion of flavor, vibrant and present, staying with you for a long time. The oaked reserve wine needed more time in the bottle, as the well-rounded oak tannins and flavors of vanilla, cedar, and tobacco were still settling around the powerful fruit underneath.

At the time of our visit, the wines offered remarkable value: approximately $10 for the 2023 Organic Malbec and $30 for the reserve, incredible prices for wines of this quality, though prices and vintages will have moved on since. Pulmary's comparison of concrete and oak fits naturally into our story on how the same grape can be shaped through different vineyard sites and winemaking choices.

Which Pulmary Malbec Should You Try First?

If you want to taste the vineyard's most immediate expression, begin with the younger, concrete-aged Malbec. It is vibrant, fruit-driven, and direct, making it a useful choice for someone who wants a fresh interpretation of Mendoza Malbec.

If you prefer a fuller, more familiar style, look for the reserve Malbec aged in American oak. The oak contributes vanilla, cedar, tobacco, and rounder tannins. It is better suited to a meal and benefits from time in the bottle or a little air in the glass.

The important point is not that one style is better. They show how the same vineyard can become two different wines depending on vessel, aging time, and the winemaker's intention. For another view of how Mendoza's landscape shapes Malbec, read our story on how the mountains around Mendoza leave their mark on the wine.

Visiting Bodega Pulmary

Pulmary is in the Luján de Cuyo area of Mendoza, close to Chacras de Coria. The winery's official site includes information about the estate, vineyard, wines, family, and tourism. Visitors should confirm current tasting availability and reservations before traveling.

The experience is likely to appeal to travelers who want a smaller, family-centered winery rather than a large commercial tasting room. The story is not only about organic Malbec, it is about seeing how one family turned a vineyard originally intended to sell grapes into a place where the entire wine is made and shared.

Where to Find Pulmary Wines

We did not find a verified Pulmary listing on Wine.com. The best purchase path is the winery's own online store at store.pulmary.com.ar. Availability and international shipping should be confirmed directly, since the store is Argentina-based and inventory can change.

The official winery site is at pulmary.com.ar, where you can also find more on the family, the vineyard, and visiting the estate.

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Pulmary Organic Malbec bottles from Mendoza

Spoken Wines visiting the Pulmary winery in Luján de Cuyo

"Starting with nature, sprinkling it with science, and applying art."