Proyecto Las Compuertas Criolla Parral
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Charcuterie boards, grilled pork chops, traditional beef empanadas
✨ Technical Specifications
Part of the Durigutti brothers' passionate initiative to safeguard the historical viticultural heritage of Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo, the Proyecto Las Compuertas Criolla Parral is a tribute to Argentina's winemaking roots. Crafted from ancient Criolla Chica vines planted in 1943, these grapes are grown on the traditional overhead parral (pergola) system, which protects the delicate skins from the intense high-altitude Andean sun. The winemaking philosophy here is one of minimal intervention: the hand-harvested grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in concrete eggs, followed by aging in the same concrete vessels to preserve the grape's bright, wild-berry character and rustic charm. This wine represents a beautiful renaissance of a historic grape variety that predates Malbec in the region, offering a lighter, highly expressive, and authentic taste of Argentine history.
🍾 About the Producer
Durigutti Family Winemakers was established in 2002 by winemaking brothers Héctor and Pablo Durigutti, who sought to champion Argentina's heritage terroirs through precise, artisanal winemaking. Their viticultural base centers on Finca Victoria in Las Compuertas, a historic high-altitude appellation within Luján de Cuyo perched above 1,000 meters along the Mendoza River. Here, ancient alluvial soils rich in silt, gravel, and limestone combine with intense Andean sunshine and marked diurnal shifts, creating optimal conditions for certified organic viticulture. Rejecting heavy-handed intervention, the Durigutti brothers emphasize spontaneous native yeast fermentations, concrete vats, ceramic amphorae, and judicious oak aging to preserve varietal clarity and site transparency. Their portfolio reflects an extraordinary stylistic breadth, anchored by the benchmark Proyecto Las Compuertas Malbec and the icon cuvée Esencia, alongside heritage recovery projects such as Cara Sucia and terroir-driven expressions from regional outposts across Mendoza and San Juan.
🍇 Grapes
Criolla Chica
🍷 ABV
12% - 13%