Doña Paula: Iconic wines from the finest Gualtallary terroirs

Last updated 10 September 2024 In Features

At Doña Paula, precision winemaking combines Argentina’s flagship Malbec grape with the finest terroirs of Mendoza to produce award-winning single-varietal expressions.

A holistic approach to viticulture

Under the oenological expertise of wine director Cristóbal Undurraga since 2023, Doña Paula has taken a holistic approach to viticulture, especially at its iconic Alluvia vineyard in Gualtallary, Uco Valley. To craft the most authentic and elegant expression possible for their flagship Malbec, Doña Paula implements regenerative and organic practices in the vineyard.

‘Ever since I discovered Gualtallary, I have known that it is a unique place with the right energy for the production of great wines,’ says Undurraga, describing the Alluvia vineyard as ‘one of the most exciting areas of Gualtallary.’

The Alluvia vineyard: Gualtallary’s high point

In the northwest of the Uco Valley, Gualtallary is known for its alluvial, calcareous soils, cool, mountain climate and excellent light. The Alluvia vineyard, Doña Paula’s highest-elevation site, situated at 1,350m, enjoys a terroir famed for cooler-climate, more refined wines.

With soils based on river deposits, the Alluvia vineyard sits within the prized Monasterio area, ‘the best quality area in Gualtallary,’ says Undurraga, where the calcium carbonate-rich soils enable Doña Paula to make ‘Malbecs of great depth, structure and tension, with crisp natural acidity.’

Selección de Bodega: the jewel in the crown

In 1999, Doña Paula first released the iconic Selección de Bodega Malbec, its most faithful expression of the best of Gualtallary terroir. Describing the 2021 vintage at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards, judges praised its freshness and perfume, with notes of sandalwood and incense, together with blueberry and black olive character.

Selección de Bodega Malbec is produced from the best fruit from the Alluvia vineyard – high-quality grapes that are treasured, in Undurraga’s words, ‘as if working with diamonds.’

And Undurraga is sure this painstaking work will reap great rewards: ‘We believe that Doña Paula Selección de Bodega is a world-class wine that will be enjoyed for the next 40 years.’