Terroir

Alluvial Soils: Sand and Stone from Andean Rivers (Argentina and Chile)

In Mendoza, the Mendoza River dragged sand and stones down from the Andes; in Chile, alluvial soils run through Medio and Bajo Maipo.

In Mendoza, the Luján de Cuyo zones of Vistalba and Las Compuertas share alluvial soils rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the Mendoza River, and Paraje Altamira sits in an alluvial cone. Zuccardi's Uco Valley vineyards are planted among alluvial soils with large stones and rich in calcium carbonate. In Chile, Bajo Maipo covers the hot, generally flat alluvial soils of the central and western Maipo Valley, while Medio Maipo has slightly heavier, more alluvial soils.

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What Alluvial Soil Is

In Vistalba and Las Compuertas, the alluvial soils are rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the Mendoza River. At Zuccardi's Finca Piedra Infinita, the soil is a shallow alluvial soil with a sandy surface horizon and a subsoil of large granite stones covered with calcareous material, originating from the alluvial fan of the Tunuyán River. Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard has alluvial, gravelly soil, with a limestone topsoil 0.80m deep over alluvial round rocks covered with limestone.

Vistalba and Las Compuertas: alluvial soils rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the Mendoza River
Zuccardi vineyards: alluvial soils with large stones and rich in calcium carbonate
Adrianna Vineyard (Catena Zapata): alluvial, gravelly soil with a limestone topsoil; subsoil of alluvial round rocks covered with limestone
Vista Flores, in the words of Susana Balbo of Dominio del Plata: 'The soils are of alluvial origin, predominantly sandy loam, and have a significant presence of rounded stones that are sometimes chalky'

Key Facts

Vistalba and Las Compuertas, in the highest part of the Luján de Cuyo appellation just above the northern bank of the Mendoza River, share alluvial soils rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the river
Paraje Altamira sits in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m, a landscape rich in sand and stones and in limestone, which is linked with a special character in some of its wines, especially in texture
Zuccardi's Uco Valley vineyards are planted in a high-altitude mountain desert among alluvial soils with large stones and rich in calcium carbonate
Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard (Gualtallary, Tupungato; planted 1992; 1,450m) has alluvial, gravelly soil with a limestone topsoil, over a subsoil of alluvial round rocks covered with limestone
The River parcel in Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard is completely covered with oval white stones and was the site of an ancient riverbed
Chile's Maipo Valley can be considered as three broad areas: Alto (over 600m), Medio (350m to 600m) and Bajo (less than 350m), with coarse-grained soils in Alto Maipo, slightly heavier, more alluvial soils in Medio Maipo and hot, generally flat alluvial soils in Bajo Maipo
Almaviva grows mostly Cabernet Sauvignon on the alluvial soils of its Maipo Valley vineyards, at the highest point in the valley

How Alluvial Soils Form

In Mendoza the rivers that built these soils run down from the Andes. The Tunuyán River begins in the Andes and, through man-made canals, has made viticulture possible in Altamira for centuries; Altamira itself sits in an alluvial cone. Zuccardi's vineyards trace back to specific alluvial fans: the Tunuyán River fan at Paraje Altamira, and the Las Tunas River fan at San Pablo and in Gualtallary. Zuccardi's Gualtallary soil is very heterogeneous alluvial soil, originating from the alluvial fan of the Las Tunas River and heavily influenced by the Jaboncillo Hills, and it holds calcareous materials such as gravels and caliche. At Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard, the River parcel was the site of an ancient riverbed and is completely covered with oval white stones, which are covered by calcium carbonate.

The Tunuyán River begins in the Andes; Altamira is in an alluvial cone
Finca Piedra Infinita (Zuccardi) sits in the heart of the alluvial fan of the Tunuyán River
Finca Las Cuchillas (Zuccardi), in San Pablo, sits on the alluvial fan of the Las Tunas River, 600 meters from the first ridges of the Frontal Mountain Range
River parcel (Catena Zapata): soil of alluvial origin, white stones covered by calcium carbonate, on an ancient river bed

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Effect on Wine Style

The soil in each vineyard site can magnify the effects of the climate: dark, stony soils store and radiate warmth, while soils with a lot of clay are usually cooler because they absorb and retain water. Stones play a similar role at Catena Zapata's River parcel, where the abundant stones aid drainage, absorb heat and moderate the nights. In Paraje Altamira, Sebastián Zuccardi puts it this way: 'Where the limestone soils are most evident is on the palate.' At Finca Las Cuchillas, the alluvial soils carry a high concentration of stones, mostly granite, covered by a thick layer of calcareous material that Zuccardi credits with defining the structure and texture of its wines.

Dark, stony soils store and radiate warmth; clay-rich soils are usually cooler and retain water
River parcel (Catena Zapata): the abundant stones aid drainage, absorb heat and moderate the nights
Paraje Altamira: limestone is linked with a special character in some wines, especially in terms of texture
Finca Las Cuchillas (Zuccardi): alluvial soils with a high concentration of stones, mostly granite, covered by a thick layer of calcareous material that defines the structure and texture of the wines

Where You'll Find It

In Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo, alluvial soils run through Vistalba (averaging about 980m) and Las Compuertas (vineyards at 1,100m), while Agrelo has sandy, rocky soils, ranging from 780m to 1,100m with barely 200mm of rainfall a year. In the Uco Valley, Paraje Altamira sits in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m, and Gualtallary's soils are sandy, rocky and chalk-rich. In Chile, the Maipo Valley splits by altitude: Alto Maipo in the Andes foothills with coarse-grained soils, Medio Maipo on the lower hills with slightly heavier, more alluvial soils, and Bajo Maipo on the hot, generally flat alluvial soils of the central and western areas, ending at the coastal range of hills. Puente Alto and Pirque are two top areas of Alto Maipo, with Cabernet the dominant variety, occasionally supported by Carmenère.

Luján de Cuyo: Vistalba and Las Compuertas share alluvial soils; Agrelo has sandy, rocky soils from 780m to 1,100m
Uco Valley: Altamira in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m; Gualtallary up to 1,600m, with most vineyards at 1,300m
Maipo Valley: Alto over 600m, Medio 350m to 600m, Bajo less than 350m; alluvial soils in Medio and Bajo Maipo
Bajo Maipo: good sites include poor hillside or rocky former river-bed soils

Reading an Alluvial Soil Profile

Zuccardi's published soil profiles differ in depth from one vineyard to the next: shallow alluvial soil with a sandy surface at Finca Piedra Infinita, medium-depth alluvial soil with a sandy loam surface at other Paraje Altamira vineyards, and alluvial soil of medium and great depth at Finca Las Cuchillas. The Finca Piedra Infinita wine is made from plots that grow on the shallower soils, and at that vineyard each task in the vineyard cycle, from pruning to harvest, is carried out based on soil type. Catena Zapata divides each of its family vineyards into parcels by soil composition, and these parcels are farmed individually.

Finca Piedra Infinita (Zuccardi): shallow alluvial soil, sandy surface horizon, subsoil of large granite stones covered with calcareous material
Finca Las Cuchillas (Zuccardi): alluvial soil of medium and great depth, sandy loam surface horizon, subsoil with stones covered with calcareous material
Gualtallary vineyards (Zuccardi): subsoil with alluvial stones covered with calcium carbonate and caliche
Catena Zapata vineyards: divided into parcels by soil composition and farmed individually

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Producer Examples

Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard, named for Nicolás Catena's youngest daughter, sits in Gualtallary, Tupungato, and was planted in 1992 at 1,450m. The team at the Catena Institute of Wine studies every meter, every rock, every insect and microorganism in the vineyard, which Catena calls perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world. River Malbec takes its name from the 2.6-hectare River parcel, at 1,366m. At Finca Piedra Infinita in Paraje Altamira, Zuccardi had to move more than a thousand trucks filled with stones to make room for the vines. In Chile, Almaviva, founded in 1997 as a collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Concha y Toro, grows mostly Cabernet Sauvignon on the alluvial soils of its vineyards at the highest point in the Maipo Valley.

Adrianna Vineyard (Catena Zapata): Gualtallary, Tupungato; planted 1992; 1,450m; alluvial, gravelly soil
River parcel (Catena Zapata): 2.6 hectares at 1,366m; the source of River Malbec
Finca Piedra Infinita (Zuccardi): IG Paraje Altamira, San Carlos; 1,100m; 44.6 hectares
Almaviva: mostly Cabernet Sauvignon on alluvial soils, with Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot

Sources and last verified

Primary sources: https://catenazapata.com/adrianna-vineyard/, https://catenazapata.com/adrianna-vineyard-3/, https://catenazapata.com/river-2022, https://zuccardiwines.com/en/fincas/, https://zuccardiwines.com/en/vinos/vinos-de-finca/, https://luigibosca.com/en/about-us/, https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2021/august/24/how-does-geography-affect-a-wine-s-style. Last verified 2026-10-04

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Flavor Profile

For Paraje Altamira, Santiago Achaval of Bodega Achaval-Ferrer says: 'Altamira Malbecs are perfumed with violets and lavender and bright red fruits.' Sebastián Zuccardi finds Altamira wines not usually as fat as those from other Uco zones, but with an elegance and tension in their texture. For Vistalba and Las Compuertas, Rodrigo Arizu of Viña Alicia notes more dark red and black fruits than floral notes, with spices such as black pepper and cloves. Adrianna Vineyard Malbec shows explosive floral and red fruit aromas with notes of cinnamon, and in Catena Zapata's view stony soil Malbecs tend to be extremely aromatic, rich and luxurious.

Food Pairings

Grass-fed Argentine beef ribeye with chimichurriSlow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlicEmpanadas de carne with cumin and paprikaAged hard cheeses such as Manchego or Pecorino with quince pasteCharred Portobello mushrooms with truffle oil and polentaBraised beef cheeks in red wine reduction with root vegetables

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Vistalba and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo share alluvial soils rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the Mendoza River.
Paraje Altamira sits in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m, rich in sand, stones and limestone; Zuccardi's Altamira vineyards lie on the alluvial fan of the Tunuyán River.
Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard (Gualtallary, Tupungato, planted 1992, 1,450m) has alluvial, gravelly soil with a limestone topsoil over alluvial round rocks covered with limestone; its River parcel was the site of an ancient riverbed.
In 1989, Luigi Bosca became a founding member of Argentina's first D.O.C., in Luján de Cuyo.
Maipo can be considered as Alto (over 600m, coarse-grained soils), Medio (350m to 600m, slightly heavier, more alluvial soils) and Bajo (less than 350m, hot, generally flat alluvial soils); Puente Alto and Pirque are two top Alto Maipo areas for Cabernet.

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