Bueyes, Valle de Uco Criolla Grande “La Jirafa y El Enano”

Within the broader Mendoza wine region, several “subzones” have emerged as elite terroirs: The Uco Valley (Valle de Uco) is one of these. Located south-southwest of the city of Mendoza, the region boasts slightly higher altitudes (and thus cooler nighttime temperatures) than the Luján de Cuyo and Maipú regions further north. Soils are of “alluvial” (river-borne) origin, mixing sand, stones, and clay. Bueyes is one of several labels produced by Familia Cánepa Martín, a collective of four winemakers based in the Luján de Cuyo region whose first wines were released in 2009. “La Jirafa y El Enano” (“the giraffe and the dwarf”) is a reference to the wine’s makers, Jesus Bianchetti (La Girafa) and Juampi Cánepa (El Enano). Although the label may say “Rosé Wine,” this is a light magenta-hued red reminiscent of some of the ultra-light reds of France’s Jura region. It is sourced from Criolla Grande vines planted at 1,200 meters of elevation in Tupungato, Valle de Uco; after careful hand harvest