Graffigna’s Reserve Malbec

last updated 16 February 2023

Founded in 1870 by Santiago Graffigna, a visionary entrepreneur who planted what are now among Argentina’s oldest vineyards, Bodega Graffigna is world-renowned for its delicious, easygoing and characterful wines, that deliver subtle oak and abundant fruitiness.

These wines have proved popular in some of the world’s largest markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, with Argentina’s flagship variety, Malbec, leading the way.

Building upon its success and honouring the innovative spirit of its founder, Bodega Graffigna, now Argentina’s third-oldest winery, has expanded operations to the Uco Valley, in Mendoza, the country’s most exclusive viticultural region. This is the source of the winery’s most recent release, Graffigna Reserve Malbec.

‘The Uco Valley is a region defined by the Andes mountain range and its impact on the climate,’ says Fernando Mengoni, head winemaker at Bodega Graffigna. ‘The high altitude region has a marked thermal range, significant amounts of sunlight and varied mineral-rich soils. All these factors combine to produce flavourful wines with complex aromatic profiles ranging from herbal and floral notes through to red and dark fruit.’

Graffigna Reserve, a Highly Recommended Malbec

Recently given a ‘Highly Recommended’ (92 pts) nod by Decanter, Graffigna’s Reserve Malbec was praised for its ‘forest fruits, crushed blueberry and cassis’ aromas, as well for its ‘fine chalky tannins, good seam of dark berry sappy juiciness and crunch.’ The judges also highlighted its balanced weight in the mouth.

Graffigna’s new wine was made with grapes from the Uco Valley and crafted by Mengoni, who inherited his passion for winemaking from his father. Together with his team, Mengoni has made it his mission to reflect both the character of the Uco Valley and Graffigna’s trademark quality, in every bottle. To achieve this, he experimented with different approaches, until he settled on one that delivered more freshness, subtle oaky flavours, greater complexity and a distinctive expression.

‘At Bodega Graffigna we use innovative methods to ensure that our different wines express the character of every variety,’ Mengoni explains. ‘We focus on producing the best possible fruit, which is why we have vineyards in different regions in Argentina, harvesting top-quality grapes to deliver the expression and excellence for which the winery is renowned.’

Reserve Malbec was fermented in small concrete and stainless steel vessels. Following fermentation, 40% of the wine was aged on the lees in neutral vessels, while the remaining 60% was aged for 9 months in French oak barrels.

150 years after Santiago Graffigna first set out on this adventure, Reserve Malbec is proof that his innovative spirit still thrives in every bottle produced at his eponymous winery.