| Region of production: | Mendoza IG |
| Winery Location: | Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza |
| Year Established: | 2000 |
Vineyard Holdings
54 ha
- Agrelo (18 ha): Agrelo IG
- Gualtallary (36 ha): Tupungato IG
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- BenMarco Malbec Los Chacayes (Vista Flores IG): 100% Malbec. Aged 11 months in 100% second-use French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 1999.
- BenMarco Expresivo (Gualtallary, Tupungato IG): 80% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Franc. Aged 14 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 1999.
- Nosotros Single Vineyard Nómade (Paraje Altamira IG): 100% Malbec. Aged 16 months in barrel, 80% new. Inaugural vintage 2007.
- Nosotros Francis (Valle de Uco IG): 55% Malbec, 35% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged 15 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 2011.
- Nosotros Sofita (Valle de Uco IG): 60% Malbec and 40% Petit Verdot. Aged 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 2010.
- Brioso (Luján de Cuyo IG): 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 16% Malbec, and 7% Petit Verdot (2016 vintage). Aged 15 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 1999.
- La Delfina (Paraje Altamira IG): 100% Malbec. Aged 14 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 2013.
Average Total Production
- 2,400,000 bottles
Summary
When Susana Balbo graduated from Universidad Don Bosco in Mendoza in 1981, she became Argentina’s first degree-holding female enologist. Her first job upon graduation was at Michel Torino Winery in Cafayate, beginning her affiliation with Torrontés. In the following years, Balbo worked at Catena Zapata and as an international consultant before founding her own winery, also known as Dominio del Plata, in 2000 in Luján de Cuyo. Beginning in 2006, Balbo served several terms as president of Wines of Argentina. In 2013, Edgardo del Pópolo, longtime winemaker at Doña Paula, joined Susana Balbo as COO. Balbo and her son, José Lovaglio Balbo, make the wines today. Susana Balbo bottles several tiers of production, with BenMarco representing the top wines, and Crios serving as the entry-level label. Susana Balbo is also a leading producer of Torrontés.
Style & Vinification Techniques
The top Malbec bottlings are all hand-harvested and undergo an extended post-fermentation maceration before several months aging in predominately new oak barrels. Balbo employs a combination of cultured and native yeasts.
Producer Website: Susana Balbo Wines (Dominio del Plata)