Rutini Wines

Felipe Rutini was born December 3, 1866 in Torre San Patrizio, Italy, and studied at the Royal School of Agriculture in Ascoli Piceno. He emigrated to Mendoza, Argentina in 1884 and, the following year, founded Bodega La Rural in Coquimbito, Maipú. In 1910 he inaugurated expanded facilities and imported state-of-the-art European equipment, producing what is described as Argentina's first high-end wines. Felipe Rutini's life spanned 1866-1919. Around 1924 the winery planted its first vineyards in the Uco Valley, a move the winery credits with pioneering a region now recognized as one of Mendoza's main winegrowing centers. In the 1990s the original Coquimbito facilities were fully renovated, incorporating modern technology into the 19th-century structure; a Wine Museum now occupies the same property. The Felipe Rutini label, the winery's flagship, was first produced in 1981 and released in 1985 to mark the winery's centenary.

• Felipe Rutini (1866-1919) emigrated from Torre San Patrizio, Italy to Mendoza in 1884 and founded Bodega La Rural in Coquimbito, Maipú in 1885
• In 1910 he inaugurated expanded facilities and imported European equipment to produce Argentina's first high-end wines
• Around 1924 the winery became the first to plant vineyards in the Uco Valley
• The original Coquimbito facilities were fully renovated in the 1990s; a Wine Museum now occupies the property
• The flagship Felipe Rutini label was first produced in 1981 and released in 1985 for the winery's centenary

Rutini's estate vineyards total 250 hectares across three high-altitude farms in the Uco Valley. Gualtallary Farm covers 150 hectares at 1,180 to 1,270 meters on particularly stony soil irrigated with well water; it is planted to Carmenere, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Negro, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Gewürztraminer, Petit Verdot, Verdicchio and Tannat. El Cepillo Farm, in the Altamira area, covers 70 hectares at 1,100 meters on stony, drip-irrigated soil, is trellis-trained and certified organic, and is planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tannat, Gewürztraminer and Petit Verdot; the winery's Single Vineyard wines labeled Altamira are sourced from this estate. La Consulta Farm covers 30 hectares at 950 meters in one of the valley's oldest wine-producing areas, with predominantly loamy, clayey soil irrigated by the traditional 'manto' furrow technique, planted to Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Ancellota, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdicchio. Decanter has reported that La Consulta is home to the winery's oldest Malbec vines, said to be about 80 years old.

• Gualtallary Farm: 150 ha at 1,180-1,270 m, stony soil, well-water irrigation; 14 varieties including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc
• El Cepillo Farm (Altamira area): 70 ha at 1,100 m, stony soil, drip-irrigated, trellis-trained, certified organic; source of the Single Vineyard Altamira wines
• La Consulta Farm: 30 ha at 950 m, loamy-clayey soil, 'manto' furrow irrigation, one of the valley's oldest wine-producing areas
• Decanter has reported the winery's oldest Malbec vines, about 80 years old, grow at La Consulta

Mariano Di Paola has directed winemaking at Rutini since 1994 and was previously a professor at Don Bosco University. In 2015, Decanter magazine named him one of the top 30 winemakers in the world, as voted by his peers. In his 2018 report on Argentine wines, Tim Atkin MW named Di Paola his Legend Winemaker of the Year; at the first Master Blenders blind-tasting event held in Argentina, in February 2018, twenty-five top Argentine winemakers judged Di Paola's Rutini Antología XLIV the highest-scoring blend. The winemaking team includes Paula Witkowski, Javier Stocco, Javier Pintos, Renzo Roldan and Carlos Enfarrel; the agronomy team is led by Gonzalo Videla, with Conrado Gibbs and Belén Maiocchi. On July 2, 2025, Rutini named Juan Pablo Murgia Head of Winemaking, working under Di Paola's direction; Murgia had recently been named Winemaker of the Year by Tim Atkin MW, according to the winery's announcement. His appointment followed the earlier addition of Martina Galeano, a UC Davis-trained oenologist.

• Mariano Di Paola: winemaking director since 1994; Decanter top-30 winemaker in the world (2015, voted by peers); previously a professor at Don Bosco University
• Tim Atkin MW named Di Paola his Legend Winemaker of the Year in his 2018 Argentina report; Di Paola's Antología XLIV scored highest at the February 2018 Master Blenders blind tasting among 25 top Argentine winemakers
• Winemaking team: Paula Witkowski, Javier Stocco, Javier Pintos, Renzo Roldan, Carlos Enfarrel; agronomy team led by Gonzalo Videla with Conrado Gibbs and Belén Maiocchi
• Juan Pablo Murgia joined as Head of Winemaking on July 2, 2025, working under Di Paola; recently named Winemaker of the Year by Tim Atkin MW
• Martina Galeano, a UC Davis-trained oenologist, joined shortly before Murgia's appointment

Construction of Rutini's winery in Tupungato, Uco Valley began in 2008 and the building was completed in 2009, positioned to minimize the distance between harvest and processing. The winery's own site currently reports annual production of about fourteen million liters, in permanent growth. Production vessels include 60 roll fermenters of 600 liters each for microfermentation of red grapes destined for the winery's top lines and blends, 500-liter barrels for white and rose wines, a 2,500-liter, 12-perlé foudre used for pressurized fermentation of red grapes, and diamond-shaped and conical tanks among other formats. The winery's optical grape-sorting system is described by Decanter as the first of its kind in Argentina, and the diamond-shaped tanks were designed and patented by Di Paola himself. A temperature- and humidity-controlled cellar in the second basement stores roughly 6,500 barrels, almost entirely French oak, supplied by different cooperages reflecting the forests and climate of their various regions of origin in France.

• Tupungato winery: construction began 2008, building completed 2009
• Currently reports annual production of about fourteen million liters, according to the winery's own site
• Production vessels: 60 x 600-liter roll fermenters, 500-liter barrels for white/rose, a 2,500-liter 12-perlé foudre, diamond-shaped and conical tanks
• Optical grape sorter described by Decanter as the first in Argentina; diamond-shaped tanks designed and patented by Di Paola
• Cellar stores roughly 6,500 barrels, almost entirely French oak

Felipe Rutini, the flagship label, was first produced in 1981 and released in 1985 to mark the winery's centenary; the winery describes it as the first label in the range to use the family's own name, and Decanter has cited the Austral Spectator guide ranking it among the top 50 wines in South America. Antología, launched in 1997 by Di Paola, is a limited-edition ultra-premium line identified by Roman numerals, with each edition drawn from a different vintage's standout barrels; current editions on the winery's site include Antología XXXVIII (38), LX (60), Julio Le Parc and LIII (53). Apartado, also launched in 1997, takes its name from the Spanish for 'set apart': the winery's own account is that the owner noticed Di Paola setting certain barrels apart from the rest and asked him to build a line around them; its composition varies by vintage and current wines include Apartado Gran Merlot, Gran Chardonnay, Espumante Nature, Gran Blend and Grand Cabernet Sauvignon. Rutini Single Vineyard, launched in 2015, expresses individual Uco Valley terroirs and currently comprises Altamira Cabernet Sauvignon, Gualtallary Cabernet Sauvignon, Gualtallary Malbec, Altamira Malbec, Altamira Merlot and Gualtallary Cabernet Franc. Rutini Colección is a premium single- and bi-varietal range sourced from the Gualtallary, El Cepillo and La Consulta estates. Dominio, Encuentro (co-created with winemaker Paul Hobbs) and the Trumpeter and Trumpeter Reserve ranges round out the portfolio; Trumpeter is presented on the winery's own promotional material as its everyday, approachable range.

• Felipe Rutini: flagship blend, first produced 1981, released 1985 for the winery's centenary; cited by Decanter (via the Austral Spectator guide) among South America's top 50 wines
• Antología: launched 1997, limited-edition ultra-premium, Roman-numeral naming; current editions include XXXVIII, LX, Julio Le Parc and LIII
• Apartado: launched 1997, vintage-variable 'set apart' barrel selection; current wines include Gran Merlot, Gran Chardonnay, Espumante Nature, Gran Blend and Grand Cabernet Sauvignon
• Rutini Single Vineyard: launched 2015; current wines from Gualtallary and Altamira include Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot bottlings
• Rutini Colección, Dominio, Encuentro (with Paul Hobbs), Trumpeter and Trumpeter Reserve round out the portfolio

Rutini Single Vineyard Gualtallary Malbec 2021 won Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, among more than 17,000 wines tasted blind, one of fewer than 1% of entries to pass through Gold- and Platinum-medal rounds to reach that final tier. The following year, Rutini Single Vineyard Gualtallary Malbec 2023 received 97 points and Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026, becoming the only Argentine wine and the only Malbec among the competition's 50 Best in Show wines that year and giving the winery back-to-back Best in Show honors. Other Rutini wines recognized at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 were Apartado Gran Malbec 2023 (96 points), Single Vineyard Gualtallary Cabernet Franc 2023 (96 points) and Apartado Gran Merlot 2023 (95 points). On the winemaking side, Tim Atkin MW's 2018 Argentina report scored Rutini Single Vineyard Malbec 2014 (Gualtallary) 95 points among the 100 best Argentine wines, and James Suckling rated the same wine 94 points.

• Single Vineyard Gualtallary Malbec 2021: Best in Show, Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, among 17,000+ wines tasted blind
• Single Vineyard Gualtallary Malbec 2023: 97 points and Best in Show, Decanter World Wine Awards 2026; the only Argentine wine and only Malbec among the year's 50 Best in Show wines
• Also at DWWA 2026: Apartado Gran Malbec 2023 (96 pts), Single Vineyard Gualtallary Cabernet Franc 2023 (96 pts), Apartado Gran Merlot 2023 (95 pts)
• Single Vineyard Malbec 2014 (Gualtallary): 95 points from Tim Atkin MW's 2018 Argentina report; 94 points from James Suckling

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://rutiniwines.com/en/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/history/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/vineyards/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/winery/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/sustainability/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/team/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/felipe-rutini/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/antologia/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/apartado/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/single-vineyard/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/rutini-coleccion/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/dominio/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/encuentro/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/trumpeter/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/trumpeter-reserve/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/best-in-show-decanters-top-award-for-single-vineyard-gualtallary-malbec-2021/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/best-in-show-for-rutini-single-vineyard-gualtallary-malbec-at-decanter-2026/, https://rutiniwines.com/en/mariano-di-paola-among-the-winemakers-of-the-year/. Secondary sources: PR Newswire (July 2, 2025 announcement), Decanter sponsored feature, Wikipedia (Felipe Rutini). Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. This article was rebuilt under Accuracy SOP v2.4.