Luján de Cuyo Archives

Here is one of the best value wines from our varietal tasting. It’s a malbec with a lighter touch, drinkability and sense of fun, crafted by winemakers Maricruz Antolin and Liliana Suarez of Bodegas Krontiras.

The grapes come from Luján de Cuyo in Mendoza, grown on alluvial soils. Vines are just over ten years old and densely planted. Fermented and matured without oak, the aim here is immediacy — a malbec styled with a nod to Beaujolais rather than the classic, muscular Mendoza stereotype.

MiKron Malbec 2023 (Bod. Krontiras)

Bright, dark ruby in the glass. The nose is fresh and fruity, packed with blackberries and ripe cherries. On the palate it’s juicy, supple and effortlessly drinkable, with soft tannins and plenty of dark red and black fruit. A proper crushable, porch-pounding red.

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There are a lot of things happening in Argentina. A few weeks ago we brought a malbec wine into the sporlight. Malbec is by many regarded as something of a national grape. Bonarda is another that excels here. For a long time we thought it was the Italian grape, but we now know that it’s the same as the French charbono (corbeau). It is naturally lighter than malbec, it’s not very compatible with oak, and it has been responsible responsible for many bland, warm wines. But with lower yields and more care to winemaking we now see interesting results. Even though Bonarda is a late ripener some will try to harvest early to avoid too warm aromas.

This particular wine is made by Bodega Chakana at their finca in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, at 960 meters above sea level. It’s aged in a combination of used barrel and concrete for a period of 8 months.

chakana-bonarda

Bonarda 2014 (Chakana)

Purple with violet rim. Aroma of blackberry, plums and herbs. Mellow and soft in the mouth, luscious, quite fresh, with a slight touch of tannin.

Price: Low

Tag: Luján de Cuyo

From the Mendoza side

A Mendoza Bonarda