Bodega Ruca Malén was born in 1998 as the result of the dream of two friends who shared a passion for making high-quality wines. Jacques Louis de Montalembert and Jean Pierre Thibaud decided to base this project on their experience and professional background in the beverage industry.
The winery has a sole objective: quality. The search for quality has been present at every milestone in the winery: its location and architectural design, the work team selection, the technological equipment, the excellent service offered to visitors and, mainly, the management, care and treatment of the vineyard, selecting the best terroirs in Mendoza River Valley, Uco Valley and even in San Juan.
Ruca Malén has 21 hectares of own vineyards and 61 hectares owned by independent growers. They are located in different regions of Mendoza, such as Luján de Cuyo (Agrelo and Perdriel), Tupungato, San Carlos (La Consulta), Tunuyán and Maipú (Lunlunta). The cultivated varieties include Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, Tempranillo and Petit Verdot.
Both the name Ruca Malén, which means “young girl’s house”, and the winery´s lines come from Mapuche language. Yauquén makes reference to the ritual of sharing and Kinién to the fact of being “unique,” a characteristic that defines the spirit of this wine as regards the high quality standards taken into account.
The quality of Ruca Malén wines have been acknowledged by several international contests and publications, such as Argentina Wine Awards, Austral Spectator, Andreas Larsson Vinexpo, Decanter World Wine Awards and The Wine Advocate.
Ruca Malén’s style is translated into elegant, complex and balanced wines that match and enhance meals while letting them shine. This characteristic is translated into an intense and fresh fruity aroma with a certain complexity granted by its oak aging. Yauquén wines have been oak-aged in order to enhance the fruit, while the Ruca Malén and Kinién have been aged, mainly in French oak, 12 and 14 months respectively.
The winery has state-of-the-art technology and is focused towards a balanced production, but always considering the quality of each segment: high quality wines, from 140 to 250 Argentinian pesos per bottle (Kinién), wines at AR$55.5 per bottle (Ruca Malén) and wines at AR$33 per bottle (Yauquén).
As regards consumers’ preferences, Jean Pierre Thibaud, vice president of Ruca Malén, pointed out that all the winery’s brands are targeted at both markets. However, foreign markets seem to prefer the Yauquén line, while in the domestic market consumers tend to prefer the Ruca Malén line. As regards varietals, Thibaud highlights that “Malbec easily wins, both in the domestic and foreign market.”
Ruca Malén considers that its main goal -to position itself as a referent in the domestic market- has already been achieved. In this new stage, the challenge is to consolidate its presence abroad, where today concentrates 60% of its sales. Therefore, Ruca Malén is carrying out a foreign trade strategy, which is close to come true once the wines arrive in the new markets, apart from the current export destinations.
The four most important export destinations are United States, Brazil, England and Canada. Moreover, the winery is developing other markets in Latin America, such as Peru, Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay, and slowly entering into the Asian market too.
Considering tourism services, Carolina Macaya, in charge of Tourism and Public Relations at the winery, explained that Ruca Malén has developed a restaurant with accommodation for 60 guests at lunch, offering a tasting menu with the best winery’s wines, including the high quality wines, especially selected to achieve the best pairing. Besides, it offers guided visits through the winery, receiving approximately between 12,000 and 13,000 visitors per year.
Finally, concerning the development of the Argentinian winemaking all over the world, Macaya highlighted that time is needed so consumers may know about the outstanding quality of Argentinian wines and that Argentina may offer other grape varieties as good as Malbec. Moreover, she emphasized that “the big wineries are paving the way with their exceptional quality. If exporting wineries also focus on quality, the future of the Argentinian viticulture is brilliant.”
