Riglos

Riglos began in 2002 with two friends from Buenos Aires, Darío Werthein and Fabián Suffern. They had a precise brief: alluvial soils, real altitude, strong sunlight and cold nights. They found it in Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley, Mendoza's high-altitude wine zone set right against the Andes. Back then it was an empty stretch of land with no foreign investment. Today it is one of the most closely watched corners of Argentine wine. The name comes from a small town in La Pampa province, where the founders' immigrant ancestors settled in the early twentieth century. In 2016 Riglos joined forces with Huarpe Wines, based in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, the long-established wine district just south of Mendoza city. The two now work together as Huarpe Riglos Family Wines. Winemaking is led by José Hernández Toso, great-grandson of Pascual Toso, one of the Italian immigrants who helped build Argentina's wine industry. He studied viticulture and oenology in Heilbronn, Germany. He then spent six years in Europe: as chief winemaker at J. Hofstätter in Alto Adige, at Graf Adelmann in Baden-Württemberg, and as a researcher at the Weinsberg institute. In 2004 his Argentine peers named him Winemaker of the Year. The goal at Riglos is single-vineyard wines that are poised, balanced and clearly marked by where they grow.

Terroir

Finca Las Divas sits at 1,350 metres in Gualtallary, Tupungato, in Mendoza's Uco Valley. This close to the Andes, the climate is cool and dry, with intense sunlight and a wide swing between day and night temperatures. The grapes develop thicker skins, concentrated aromas and fresh natural acidity. The soils are alluvial sandy loam, strewn with stones carried down by the Las Tunas River. They are poor in organic matter and drain freely, which pushes the roots deep. The estate is planted with selected clones of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, trained on vertical shoot positioning.