Terrazas de los Andes

Terrazas de los Andes was founded between 1991 and 1995, when its team saw the potential of Mendoza and the Andes for fine mountain wines and explored the region's cool, high-altitude terraces in search of a refined varietal expression. Its home winery, La Perla, in Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, was built in 1895 by Sotero Arizu; Terrazas de los Andes acquired it a century later. In 1993 it pioneered the use of drip irrigation. The first vintage of Reserva Malbec was crafted under the Terrazas de los Andes label in 1996 and introduced to market in 1999. The Ascension Journey that followed added vineyards at increasing elevation: a 1929-planted, ungrafted Malbec vineyard at Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo; Los Castaños, in Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley, planted in 2006 at 1,100 meters; Licán, in Los Chacayes in the Uco Valley, planted in 2007 at 1,200 meters; and El Espinillo, in Gualtallary, planted in 2008 at 1,650 meters, the highest productive vineyard in the Uco Valley. Extremo Malbec, the icon wine, launched in 2024.

• La Perla winery, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo: built 1895 by Sotero Arizu
• Las Compuertas: ungrafted Malbec vines planted 1929
• Los Castaños (Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley, 1,100m): planted 2006
• Licán (Los Chacayes, Uco Valley, 1,200m): planted 2007
• El Espinillo (Gualtallary, 1,650m): planted 2008, highest productive vineyard in the Uco Valley
• First Reserva Malbec vintage: 1996, released 1999
• Extremo Malbec, the icon range, launched 2024

Terrazas de los Andes belongs to Moët Hennessy, the Wines & Spirits division of LVMH, which holds its wine estates through "LVMH Vins d'Exceptions" and has twenty-seven internationally renowned Maisons in total. As of 2023 Estate Director Lucas Löwi leads the estate, which farms a mosaic of 500 hectares across more than 200 high-altitude parcels irrigated with glacier water and farmed with regenerative viticulture. The team also includes Vineyard Director Claudio Mestre, Senior Winemaker José Ponce, Winemaker Maximiliano Ardanaz, and R&D, Biodiversity and Living Soil Manager Daniela Mezzatesta. The head chef of the on-site restaurant joined Terrazas de los Andes in 2007 and took over the restaurant in 2015.

• Owner: Moët Hennessy, the Wines & Spirits division of LVMH
• Estate Director: Lucas Löwi
• Vineyard Director: Claudio Mestre
• Senior Winemaker: José Ponce
• Winemaker: Maximiliano Ardanaz
• R&D, Biodiversity and Living Soil Manager: Daniela Mezzatesta

The wines fall into four ranges. Reserva is the estate's signature collection, drawn from a panorama of 12 terroirs, and currently comprises Reserva Malbec, Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserva Chardonnay. Grand represents the fullest expression of the estate's mountain Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, blending the best wines from its finest high-altitude vineyards. Parcel bottles single-plot wines from specific parcels, currently including Los Castaños Malbec, Los Cerezos Malbec and Licán Malbec. Extremo is the icon Malbec, sourced from a small, particular plot in the Andes. Across the portfolio, Malbec comes from plots in transition to organic viticulture in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. Vinous wrote of the Grand Chardonnay 2022: "Loose and fresh on the palate, this precise wine offers a vibrant expression." Virginie Boone called Extremo Malbec "Supple in texture, Pinot-Esque in its ethereal embrace of understated elegance."

• Reserva: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, from a panorama of 12 terroirs
• Grand: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, blended from the estate's finest high-altitude vineyards
• Parcel: single-plot Los Castaños Malbec, Los Cerezos Malbec, Licán Malbec
• Extremo: icon Malbec from a small plot in the Andes, launched 2024

The estate's sustainability program is called "Guardians of Mountain Life." The estate switched from flood to precision drip irrigation three decades ago, cutting water usage by 63% compared to traditional methods, and participates in "Glaciers for Life," a program with The Nature Conservancy, the Argentine Institute of Snow, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences (IANIGLA), the Cricyt Foundation and the Mendoza River Water Conservation Fund to support conservation of snow cover, rivers and Andean glaciers. Its Biodiversity Patches preserved native vegetation across 45% of total vineyard surface by 2022, and in February 2022 the estate began planting 1,000 trees across 70 hectares at its Los Aromos and Las Compuertas vineyards. Using the iNaturalist-based Argentinat platform, the estate and collaborators have identified 488 species of animals, insects and plants across its 11 vineyards. On climate, it has committed to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its operations by 2030, switched its Reserva range to lightweight bottles under 400 grams (starting in Europe and Canada in 2021 and the rest of the world in 2023), installed 62 thermal solar panels on its winery roof, and began implementing an ISO 50001 Energy Management System in 2023. It recycles 97% of its solid waste, reuses all winery wastewater for irrigation, and belongs to Wine in Moderation, a responsible-consumption program. Its community education work began nearly two decades before 2026 with programs for mountain schools near its winery and vineyards, run with Chandon Argentina; the estate now runs 8 educational programs annually across 28 participating schools, reaching an average of 4,000 children per year.

• 63% water-use reduction from precision drip irrigation vs. traditional flood irrigation
• "Glaciers for Life": glacier and watershed conservation with The Nature Conservancy, IANIGLA, Cricyt Foundation and the Mendoza River Water Conservation Fund
• 45% of vineyard surface preserved as native-vegetation Biodiversity Patches (by 2022)
• 488 species identified across 11 vineyards via the Argentinat (iNaturalist) platform
• Target: 50% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
• 97% of solid waste recycled; all winery wastewater reused for irrigation
• 8 educational programs annually, 28 participating schools, about 4,000 children reached per year

Cheval des Andes is a joint project combining the vision and expertise of Château Cheval Blanc with high-altitude wine growing in the Mendoza region. The wine blends Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Pierre Lurton is President of Cheval des Andes.

• Partner: Château Cheval Blanc
• Blend: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
• President: Pierre Lurton

The winery is a Spanish-style construction from the late 19th century, located at Thames y Cochabamba, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. The estate offers guided tours and tastings, a restaurant, and a guest house with six rooms, each accommodating two guests. Visiting hours are 9:00 to 17:30, closed only for Christmas and New Year.

• Location: Thames y Cochabamba, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza
• Hours: 9:00-17:30, closed only Christmas and New Year
• Guest house: 6 rooms, each accommodating 2 guests

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/about-us, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/our-wines, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/guardians-mountain-life, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/visit-us, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/our-wines/reserva, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/our-wines/grand, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/our-wines/extremo, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/our-wines/parcel, https://www.terrazasdelosandes.com/en-ww/our-wines/malbec. Secondary sources: LVMH corporate site (parent group), https://www.lvmh.com/en/our-maisons/wines-spirits/terrazas-de-los-andes, used for ownership; Cheval des Andes' own site, https://www.chevaldesandes.com, used for the joint-venture wine. Last verified 2026-10-12. Ownership is stated on the LVMH corporate site rather than terrazasdelosandes.com itself, per R1 (producer's site silent on ownership).