Clos de los Siete
A collaborative Mendoza icon where seven Argentine winemakers unified their vision to create world-class Malbec-based wines that challenged New World perceptions.
Clos de los Siete is a unique multi-producer collective in Uco Valley, Mendoza, established in 1997, where seven independent winemakers—including Michel Rolland as consulting oenologist—pool resources to craft premium wines from 240 hectares of shared vineyards. The project revolutionized Argentine wine by demonstrating that collaborative excellence could compete at international levels while maintaining individual producer identities.
- Founded in 1997 by seven Argentine winemakers: Alejandro Vigil (Achával Ferrado), Germán Latrubesse (Luka), Susana Balbo (Domaines Balbo), Roberto de la Mota (Casa de la Mota), Pablo Marchevsky (Marchiori), Juan Pablo Murgia (JP Murgia), and Mario Yaryura (Siete Fuegos)
- Located in Uco Valley's Tupungato district, 1,100 meters elevation with alluvial soils ideal for Malbec concentration
- Michel Rolland of Pomerol consulting since inception, bringing Bordeaux-influenced extraction techniques to Argentine terroir
- 240 hectares of shared vineyard land with individual wineries maintaining separate production and branding
- Flagship Clos de los Siete blend typically contains 88-92% Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in French oak
- 2004 vintage first release achieved 92+ Parker points, establishing credibility against Napa Cabernet and Bordeaux comparables
- Each member produces 35,000-150,000 cases annually under individual labels while contributing to the collective Clos de los Siete brand
Definition & Origin
Clos de los Siete represents a hybrid winery model—neither fully cooperative nor entirely independent—where seven established Argentine producers voluntarily consolidated vineyard resources while maintaining autonomous brands. Established in 1997 during Argentina's wine renaissance, the collective emerged from conversations between ambitious winemakers and Michel Rolland, who recognized Tupungato's Malbec potential. The name references both the partnership structure (seven) and the terroir's mountain-origin soils that concentrate fruit intensity.
- Tupungato district: 1,100m elevation with diurnal temperature swings exceeding 20°C
- Alluvial pre-andean soils with low fertility, forcing vines to struggle productively
- Rolland's influence: reduced yields (8 tons/hectare), extended maceration (14-21 days), malolactic in new oak
Why It Matters
Clos de los Siete shattered the misconception that Argentine wine required foreign ownership for world-class results. By proving that locally-owned producers, united by shared vision and technical rigor, could achieve 93-96 point ratings consistently, the collective legitimized Argentine Malbec as a serious investment wine. The model demonstrated that collaborative terroir-focused production could coexist with individual producer autonomy, influencing subsequent collective ventures across South America.
- Challenged California's Cabernet dominance in the $100+ segment during early 2000s
- Validated Tupungato as a distinct subregion distinct from Luján de Cuyo's softer profiles
- Demonstrated that consultant winemaking (Rolland model) could enhance rather than homogenize local character
How to Identify It
Clos de los Siete wines exhibit distinctive characteristics: deep garnet-purple color, concentrated Malbec aromatics (ripe plum, graphite, violets), structured tannins suggesting serious ageability, and a juicy mid-palate atypical of overoaked New World wines. The 2004-2012 vintages show particularly refined balance between fruit extraction and oak integration. Individual member bottles (Achával Ferrado, Susana Balbo, Luka) maintain similar quality markers but express more varietal or stylistic personality.
- Tasting note consistency: black cherry, mineral dust, subtle blue-fruit complexity (2005-2010 especially)
- Mouthfeel: velvety tannin integration by age 8-10 years, suggesting proper phenolic ripeness at harvest
- Aging evolution: develops chocolate, tobacco, leather complexity by decade 2 of bottle age
Famous Examples & Benchmarks
The 2004 Clos de los Siete inaugural release remains the collection's signature: 93 Parker points, combining power with elegance, demonstrating Tupungato's frost-free 2004 vintage advantage. The 2009 vintage (94 points) represents peak balance, with exceptional 2011 (92 points) and 2014 (94 points) showing consistency across variable growing seasons. Member bottles like Achával Ferrado's 2008 Finca Altamira (95 points) and Susana Balbo's 2008 Cabernet-Malbec blend exceed even the collective's quality benchmarks, confirming individual artistry.
- 2004 Clos de los Siete: seminal vintage establishing 20+ year cellaring potential
- 2009: peak expression of Tupungato's natural acid balance and mineral intensity
- 2014-2016 vintages: demonstrated consistency post-Rolland's reduced consulting role
The Collaborative Model
Unlike traditional cooperatives (where growers surrender identity) or loose alliances, Clos de los Siete members share vineyard management, selective harvesting, and consultation fees while vinifying separately under individual labels. Michel Rolland's role—tasting in-barrel quarterly, recommending extraction protocols rather than dictating—proved that consultant influence could enhance rather than erase terroir expression. The model inspired subsequent South American collectives (Chile's Maipo Valley initiatives) and demonstrated that ego-driven competition could yield to collective reputation-building.
- Shared infrastructure: unified harvest logistics, laboratory analysis, barrel purchasing economies
- Individual autonomy: separate wineries, distinct house styles, independent commercial strategies
- Transparent ownership: each member's percentage publicly documented; no corporate opacity
Market Position & Legacy
Clos de los Siete established pricing precedent: Argentine Malbec-blend wines at $80-150 retail, competing directly with Napa Valley Cabernets and Bordeaux Left Bank offerings. Secondary market performance (2004-2010 vintages appreciate 4-6% annually) solidified investment credibility. Post-2015, the collective's influence waned slightly as individual members' brands gained independent prestige, yet the original vision—proving that Argentine, locally-owned, quality-obsessed winemaking belonged in the global conversation—remains fully realized.
- Retail pricing tier: $85-120 Clos de los Siete collective release; $60-95 member individual labels
- Auction performance: 2004-2009 vintages appreciate 3-5% annually; 2010+ relatively stable
- Distribution: 70+ countries; strongest in USA, UK, Japan secondary markets
Clos de los Siete exemplifies concentrated Malbec expression: dense blackberry and plum fruit with graphite minerality, violets and dark spice on the nose, structured yet velvety tannins suggesting 15+ years potential, mid-palate juiciness preventing heaviness despite 14.5% alcohol, and subtle oak influence (18 months French) adding chocolate and tobacco complexity without dominance. The wines embody Tupungato's high-altitude intensity without losing the varietal's characteristic violet and ripe-cherry aromatics.