Last day in Mendoza so - more wineries - Ruca Malen
Tuesday dawns sunny and less hot, only 28. We are breakfasted and ready at the door for pick up by the Hop-on/Hop-off wine tour bus. Very well organized but slow going round the hotels. In fact, we are picked up at 8 and pass our hotel again at 9!!! There are a few anglos on our bus, American, Australian,
Our bus guide Hugo is efficient but doesn’t speak much English so we are not entirely clear about plans. There are 4 wineries, you can visit them all if you don't do a long lunch anywhere. He sorts out everyone’s schedule and calls ahead to book tours at wineries in Spanish and English. Very efficient. At A$650 each pus cost of tours and lunch, it’s reasonable.
We first visit Ruca Malen, with gorgeous Andes views and chef picking garden produce for the restaurant and making a beautiful harvest arrangement on a barrel in front of the tasting room. Again the drive out to the Luca valley with gorgeous clear Andes views is stunning.
Ruca Malen was established 100 years ago and thins its vines depending on the quality of wine they want to produce. 3kg, 2kg or 1k per plant, first pick early March, mid March for reserve wines and April to finish. They sample daily, harvest manually. They also do malolactic fermentation here.
Surprisingly they use new barrels every year! Reselling to other wineries or for use in flooding or furniture afterwards!
50% of their produce goes to UK, China US, and Brazil. 50 to Chile and Argentina, small amounts to S.America and Europe.
Here we taste a 2016 Malbec, a 2015 Petit Verdot and 2010 Kinien blend.
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