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, Decanter maps alluvial soils across Medio and Bajo Maipo.

In Mendoza, Decanter describes the Luján de Cuyo zones of Vistalba and Las Compuertas as sharing alluvial soils rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the Mendoza River, and Paraje Altamira as sitting in an alluvial cone. Zuccardi says its Uco Valley vineyards are planted among alluvial soils with large stones and rich in calcium carbonate. In Chile, Decanter writes that 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.

What Alluvial Soil Is

Decanter's Mendoza sub-zone guide describes the alluvial soils of Vistalba and Las Compuertas as rich in sand and stones dragged down from the Andes by the Mendoza River. Zuccardi describes the soil at its Finca Piedra Infinita as 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 lists the Adrianna Vineyard's soil as alluvial and gravelly, with a limestone topsoil 0.80m deep over alluvial round rocks covered with limestone.

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

Key Facts

Decanter (Patricio Tapia) says 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
Decanter places Paraje Altamira in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m, a landscape rich in sand and stones and in limestone that it says lends a special character to some wines, especially in texture
Zuccardi describes its Uco Valley vineyards as planted in a high-altitude mountain desert among alluvial soils with large stones and rich in calcium carbonate
Catena Zapata lists the soil of its Adrianna Vineyard (Gualtallary, Tupungato; planted 1992; 1,450m) as alluvial and gravelly with a limestone topsoil, over a subsoil of alluvial round rocks covered with limestone
Catena Zapata says its River parcel in the Adrianna Vineyard is completely covered with oval white stones and was the site of an ancient riverbed
Decanter (Peter Richards) divides Chile's Maipo Valley into 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
Decanter's Almaviva producer profile says 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. Decanter says the Tunuyán River begins in the Andes and has made viticulture possible in Altamira for centuries through man-made canals, and that Altamira sits in an alluvial cone. Zuccardi ties its vineyards to specific alluvial fans: the Tunuyán River fan at Paraje Altamira, and the Las Tunas River fan at San Pablo and in Gualtallary. Zuccardi calls the Gualtallary soil very heterogeneous alluvial soil, originating from the alluvial fan of the Las Tunas River and heavily influenced by the Jaboncillo Hills, and says it finds calcareous materials such as gravels and caliche in those alluvial soils. 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 Catena lists as white stones covered by calcium carbonate.

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

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Effect on Wine Style

WSET notes that 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. Catena Zapata makes a similar point about stones at its River parcel, saying the abundant stones provide optimal drainage and extreme temperatures, absorbing heat and moderating the nights. In Decanter, Sebastián Zuccardi says of Paraje Altamira: 'Where the limestone soils are most evident is on the palate.' Zuccardi describes the soils at Las Cuchillas as alluvial 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.

WSET: dark, stony soils store and radiate warmth; clay-rich soils are usually cooler and retain water
Catena Zapata, River parcel: the abundant stones provide optimal drainage and extreme temperatures
Decanter: Altamira's limestone lends a special character to some wines, especially in terms of texture
Zuccardi, Las Cuchillas: calcareous material over granite stones defines the structure and texture of the wines

Where You'll Find It

In Mendoza, Decanter describes alluvial soils in Luján de Cuyo at Vistalba (averaging about 980m) and Las Compuertas (vineyards at 1,100m), and sandy, rocky soils at Agrelo, which ranges from 780m to 1,100m with barely 200mm of rainfall a year. In the Uco Valley, Decanter places Paraje Altamira in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m and describes Gualtallary's soils as sandy, rocky and chalk-rich. In Chile, Decanter's Maipo guide splits the valley 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. It names Puente Alto and Pirque as two top areas of Alto Maipo, with Cabernet the dominant variety, occasionally supported by Carmenère.

Luján de Cuyo (Decanter): Vistalba and Las Compuertas share alluvial soils; Agrelo has sandy, rocky soils from 780m to 1,100m
Uco Valley (Decanter): Altamira in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m; Gualtallary up to 1,600m, with most vineyards at 1,300m
Maipo Valley (Decanter): Alto over 600m, Medio 350m to 600m, Bajo less than 350m; alluvial soils in Medio and Bajo Maipo
Bajo Maipo (Decanter): 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. It lists 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. It says its Finca Piedra Infinita wine is made from plots that grow on the shallower soils, and that at that vineyard each task in the vineyard cycle, from pruning to harvest, is carried out based on soil type. Catena Zapata says each of its family vineyards is divided into parcels according to soil composition, and that these parcels are farmed individually.

Zuccardi, Finca Piedra Infinita: shallow alluvial soil, sandy surface horizon, subsoil of large granite stones covered with calcareous material
Zuccardi, Finca Las Cuchillas: alluvial soil of medium and great depth, sandy loam surface horizon, subsoil with stones covered with calcareous material
Zuccardi, Gualtallary vineyards: subsoil with alluvial stones covered with calcium carbonate and caliche
Catena Zapata: vineyards divided into parcels according to 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. Catena says the team at the Catena Institute of Wine studies every meter, every rock, every insect and microorganism in the vineyard, calling it perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world. Its River Malbec takes its name from the 2.6-hectare River parcel, which Catena lists at 1,366m. Zuccardi says it had to move more than a thousand trucks filled with stones to make room for the vines at Finca Piedra Infinita in Paraje Altamira. In Chile, Decanter's producer profile of Almaviva, a collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Concha y Toro founded in 1997, says mostly Cabernet Sauvignon is grown 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 (Decanter): 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 2026-09-28

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Flavor Profile

Growers quoted in Decanter describe Malbec from Mendoza's alluvial zones in varied terms. For Paraje Altamira, Santiago Achaval of Bodega Achaval-Ferrer says: 'Altamira Malbecs are perfumed with violets and lavender and bright red fruits.' Sebastián Zuccardi says Altamira wines are not usually as fat as those from other Uco zones but have an elegance and tension in their texture. For Vistalba and Las Compuertas, Rodrigo Arizu of Viña Alicia describes more dark red and black fruits than floral notes, with spices such as black pepper and cloves. Catena Zapata describes Adrianna Vineyard Malbec as having explosive floral and red fruit aromas with notes of cinnamon, and says 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

Decanter (Patricio Tapia): 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.
Decanter: Paraje Altamira sits in an alluvial cone at 1,000m to 1,100m, rich in sand, stones and limestone; Zuccardi links its Altamira vineyards to the alluvial fan of the Tunuyán River.
Catena Zapata: 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.
Luigi Bosca says it was a founding member of Argentina's first D.O.C., in Luján de Cuyo, in 1989.
Decanter (Peter Richards): Maipo divides into 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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