Bodega Luigi Bosca has, for over 120 years, developed an enviable reputation as the producer of some of Argentina’s most premium wines. Owned as well as operated by third- and fourth- generation members of the Arizu family, it was founded in 1901 by Leoncio Arizu who arrived in Argentina from Spain in 1890. Leoncio, himself a fourth generation member in a family of pioneer viticulturists producing quality wines in Europe, settled in the Lujan de Cuyo area of Mendoza. It was 11 years later, and in partnership with a Piedmontese family of Italian winemakers, the Boscas, that Arizu began planting vines of European origin, giving birth to what is now known as Bodega Luigi Bosca – Familia Arizu.

The Luigi Bosca Winery, with annual earnings exceeding 100 million dollars per year, makes and exports premium wines from vineyards located in the Mendoza areas of Luján de Cuyo, Maipú and Valle de Uco. It produces some 400,000 cases per year, from vines that span over 500 hectares, and sells more than half of this volume in the international market. Among their vineyards is the 295-hectare Finca El Paraíso located next to the Mendoza River in Maipú, which was reestablished by Leoncio Arizu in 1926. Finca El Paraíso (The Paradise Farm) is the oldest, largest estate with the greatest variety of planted vines of Bodega Luigi Bosca and its wines are characterised by their roundness, elegance, tense and sober body.

There, among its vineyards, stands the château-style mansion in which different generations of the Arizu family lived, its walls and its imprint forming part of the history, present and future, of Bodega Luigi Bosca. This farm has also served as a research and inspiration engine for the Arizu family, allowing them to innovate through a combination of nature, craftsmanship, science and instinct, becoming the site of great milestones in the history of the brand. Over the years the bodega has accomplished many firsts but of great significance is its participation in the founding of the first DOC (Denominación de Origen Controlada/Controlled Designation of Origin ) in Argentina: the Luján de Cuyo Denomination of Origin.

The Controlled Designation of Origin is the most similar to the European appellations because it not only specifies geographic boundaries but also regulates winemaking techniques and the maximum allowed yields per hectare, among other things. DOC Lujan de Cuyo and DOC San Rafael are the only two DOCs certified and used for Malbec wines. The bodega’s other vineyards are located on 50 hectares at Los Miradores in Valle de Uco; 19 hectares at Miralejos in the Altamira District and 50 hectares at Los Nobles in Lujan de Cuyo.

Today, Thursday Food introduces you to a few of the 2022 Decanter World Wine Award-winning premium varietals from Bodega Luigi Bosca – Familia Arizu beginning with its De Sangre Collection. To commemorate its 120th anniversary in 2021, the bodega introduced a new high-end portfolio made up of seven parcel labels that represented the launch of a segment. De Sangre is rooted in a tradition established by the Arizus, in which special wines, those that were differentiated or kept for family consumption, were called De Sangre (which means of blood) and have been referred to as the blood wines from the family. The wines featured in this collection are:

Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec 2018, a 91 point wine described as having tension, freshness and concentration that shows great respect to the spirit and identity of its terroir. Produced from its own farms, Finca Los Miradores and Finca Miralejos, located in the Uco Valley, this 100 per cent Malbec has aromas of cedar, cinnamon, herb, as well as hints of black fruit, spicy notes, and very attractive mineral tones. On the palate it is compact, with nerve and concentration, a clean definition along with very good fluidity as it passes through the palate. Fine tannins are also expressed with a pleasant texture, great acidity, firmness, balance followed by a long and complex finish.

Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec DOC 2019 is made under the rules of the Luján de Cuyo Denomination of Origin, with grapes from selected plots of vineyards located in the Las Compuertas, Vistalba and Agrelo areas. Scoring 92 points, this 100 per cent Malbec has pretty aromatics in which the clear red fruit stands out along with delicate violet petals and cedar. Reminiscent of ripe cherry and spicy notes that add complexity, it also has very well integrated roasting tones from its aging, which refer to coffee. It is round on the palate, with red fruit and spices as well as having structured tannins, black fruit expressions, balanced acidity and a long and compact finish.

Luigi Bosca De Sangre Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a sober, stately and well-structured 90 point 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, made from grapes harvested in vineyards located in Valle de Uco and Luján de Cuyo. It is distinguished by its generous aromas of blueberry, cherry and sweet spice, typical of the variety, that is dominated by black fruit and notes of pepper, very well-balanced with the roasting tones resulting from its aging in barrels. On the palate it has fine, ripe tannins and plush fruit, is compact, tense, with very good structure and body, along with a balanced acidity that culminates in a persistent and elegant finish.

Luigi Bosca De Sangre Cabernet Franc 2018 is another 90 point wine that is 100 per cent Cabernet Franc and produced from old vineyards planted in Maipú. It is a wine of great character marked by its spicy profile, possessing excellent varietal typicity. Its aromas are typical of the variety, with pleasant notes reminiscent of liquorice, spices, pink pepper and some black fruit, all well amalgamated with the barrel aging. On the palate the entrance is compact, with nerve, concentration and very good fluidity. Great acidity and firmness, balanced texture and very good roundness followed by a long and deep finish, with hints of smoky black fruit, purple flowers, velvety tannins and some spice.

Luigi Bosca De Sangre Malbec Limited Edition 2017, a 91 point wine, is a limited production 100 per cent Malbec from Altamira, whose stony soil with calcareous components of its terroir is expressed in its characteristic mineral aroma. The wine’s aroma is vibrant and inviting, with notes of cherry, violet, balsamic and intense minerals reminiscent of wet stone and chalk. Its entry into the mouth is fresh and vertical, with great tension and nerve, and balanced acidity that provides fluidity, offering a lively expression of red fruit, fine tannins and roundness on the palate. This is followed by a long and persistent finish that is savoury with an underpinning of a focused acidity.

Luigi Bosca De Sangre White Blend 2020 scored 87 points and expresses the innovative hand of their head winemaker along with showcasing the style of the house. A broad and stately blend that is born from three grape varieties, it comprises 50 per cent Chardonnay, 35 per cent Sémillon, 15 per cent Sauvignon Blanc taken from vineyards located in Gualtallary and Tupungato. It is expressive on the nose with perfumed green citrus aromas, along with floral and white fruit notes that stand out, reminiscent of peaches, green apples and orange blossom. In the mouth it is fresh and clear, with a creamy, vibrant texture and a juicy balance. It has a clear, agile, delicate and elegant palate with bright acidity and herbal notes as well as a long and defined finish.

Luigi Bosca De Sangre Red Blend 2019 is a sober, elegant blend made from Cabernet Sauvignon (78 per cent) with contributions from Syrah (12 per cent) and Merlot (10 per cent) that scored 86 points and faithfully embodies the imprint of the Arizu family. The wine has very attractive aromas of herbaceous black currant, bell pepper and notes of tea in harmony, balanced with slight smoky tones from the oak aging. On the palate it is perceived as compact, ripe, with incipient tannins and a round texture that fills the mouth with fruit, denoting a very good definition of terroir. It has great character and acidity with a long, complex and deep finish.

Throughout its extensive history in Argentine viticulture, Bodega Luigi Bosca – Familia Arizu remains one of the few wineries that through the decades remains in the hands of its owners, the Arizu family. The family also produces a collection of premium extra virgin olive oil at its vineyards, under the Essencia label, made from 50-year-old olive trees planted at Finca El Paraiso. Today, the Arizus proudly continue a tradition of more than 100 years in which their work to improve technique, observation and understanding of nature gives rise to their vision of wine.