Originating high in the Andes Mountains, the alluvial soils of Mendel vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo are very poor in organic material. They are sandy on top with stone and gravel below giving excellent drainage during the rare bursts of rain in Mendoza (while the average rainfall is less than 8 inches per year, we can sometimes get 2 to 3 inches in an afternoon). Excellent mineral content and low amounts of nitrogen result in healthy plants, but with low vigor, which helps increase concentration of flavor in the grapes.

Our 80-year-old malbec and cabernet sauvignon vineyards are located in Perdriel - Finca de los Andes - and in Mayor Drumond - Finca M - between 900 and 1,100 meters above sea level, on the highest well-irrigated land in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza.

The climate is desert-like and continental, with well demarcated seasons throughout the year. Scarce rainfall, under 200 mm per year necessitate irrigation. We  practice what it is  called  “artisan flood irrigation”—highly controlled flood irrigation done block by block based on the stress levels and yields of each part of the vineyard. Flood irrigation is also a favorable practice to control phylloxera, which is important since Mendel’s old vines are on their own rootstock, not grafted.

Summer temperatures in the northern part of the Lujan department are fairly cool (91 F is considered a hot day) and the day-night temperature swings are usually 30 degrees. This has a very favorable impact on the hang time, phenolic development and acid balance in the grapes. The grapes ripen slowly, become very concentrated and flavorful, and maintain good acidity even with the development of deep, ripe fruit flavors.

Both Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon arrived in Mendoza, Argentina, midway through the 19th century. Both adapted exceptionally, but the Malbec with its old selections became dominant in the area. Our vines are planted on espaliers with a north-south orientation and with high density, 5,555 plants per hectare.

Careful pruning, together with controlled irrigation during the cycle, give us an excellent exposure to the sun, a reduced number of bunches of grapes and medium sized berries. This ensures an excellent concentration, intensity and quality of grape.

Harvest time is determined after much tasting of the grapes in the plots. We seek just the right maturity to assure the intensity and quality of both the fruit and the tannins. The aim is to obtain a wine of intense maturity and a great quantity of fruit, but with the balance of acidity that ensures prolonged storage.

The ageing is done in new, French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months for Mendel Unus and for a similar period in new, first-use and second-use barrels for Mendel Malbec.

During the aging, the wines are tasted assiduously, following the evolution of each of the barrels’ contents. Later one of the most important moments of each of these wines arrives: the “assemblage”, which allows us to create the wine we have dreamed of and imagined for so long.

After the “blend,” the wines are bottled, avoiding filtrations and treatments that limit their intensity and complexity.