Pulenta Estate Gran Corte VII

Up in the sun-baked Cuyo region of Mendoza, where the Andes loom and the land is scorched, sparse and stunning, Argentina’s finest vineyards thrive. Here, snowmelt from the highest peaks funnels through ancient irrigation systems to bring life to desert soils. Cuyo may mean “desert country” in the language of the native Huarpe peoples, but don’t be fooled — this place is the powerhouse of Argentine wine, home to 95% of the country’s vines and a long, storied winemaking tradition.

Pulenta Estate — now into its fourth generation — is at the heart of it. The family (originally Polenta, Italian immigrants from Ancona) arrived in 1902 and have been shaping Argentine wine ever since. Their approach is as grounded as it is ambitious: no flashy certifications, just sustainable, organic principles rooted in soil health, environmental care, and clarity of expression. The wines are honest, vivid, and unmistakably Mendoza.

Gran Corte VII is their flagship blend — a limited-release symphony of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Tannat. Each variety is fermented separately in stainless steel before the blend is aged for 12 months in French oak. The result? A brooding, perfumed red packed with bramble, wild cherry and raspberry. It’s velvet-textured and full-bodied, with flickers of smoke, spice, fresh herbs and bitter chocolate in the wings. The altitude — these vines sit at 3215 feet, higher than almost any vineyard in Europe — lends freshness and tension to all that depth and power.

Crack this open with BBQ’d meats, rich sauces, smoky marinades — or just because it’s been that kind of week. But don’t hang about. This one vanishes fast.