the essential guide to

the essential guide to

MENDOZA PROVINCE Uco Valley Mt. Aconcagua Elev 22,800 7 Mt. Tupungato Elev 21,500 Los Arboles 1150 m AMSL Luján de Cuyo Elev 3,200 Luján de Cuyo Tupungato Elev 3,900 Gualtallary 1285m AMSL Uco Valley Max Elev 4,700 MENDOZA Elev 2,300 Villa Bastias Los Chacayes 1110 m AMSL Altamira La Consulta 40 Tunuyán Maipú Perdriel Agrelo Ugarteche Maipú Max Elev 2,600 San Martín E. Mendoza Max Elev 2,400 Junin 7 Rivadavia Santa Rosa San Carlos Elev 3,200 40 REGION, VINEYARD & WINE KEY MENDOZA MAP KEY 1 LOS CHACAYES: BenMarco Malbec Capital Mendoza 2 3 LOS ÁRBOLES: GUALTALLARY: BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon BenMarco Expresivo City Large Town Small Town Wine Highway River

INTRODUCING EDY DEL POPOLO Edgardo Del Pópolo is an Argentinean wine industry veteran and probably one of the most respected and consulted Argentine viticulturists, where he has worked since 1992. He studied Enology and Agronomy at the UNC in Mendoza, Argentina. Possessing a free spirit and an independent attitude, he has travelled the wine world visiting Old and New World wine regions and the most important wine markets. A skilled taster, he has been designated as a judge at many international wine competitions. BENMARCO HEAD WINEMAKER/VITICULTURIST When and how did wine become a big part of his life? A long time ago, before going to University. Mendoza vineyards taught me how to enjoy life at a good rhythm: not slow, not fast. Wine is a beautiful way to be connected to the earth - this is the way of life I like and not only for me. If I can pass it on to my future generations I will be very proud and happy. At the beginning of 2013, he was appointed General Manager at Dominio del Plata winery and has made BenMarco wines according to his vision.

5 MUST KNOW FACTS ABOUT BENMARCO 1. TRUE EXPERIENCE COMES FROM REAL VINES BenMarco is all about viticulture: having planted more than 3,000 acres of vineyards across Argentina's terroirs, Edy is the person with the most experience in the Argentine viticulture scene. He has tasted almost every piece of dirt! 2. WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT S UNDERGROUND BenMarco wines allow us to go higher in elevation and work in extreme sites never explored before. Our complex alluvial soils display huge differences and our wines are the purest interpretation that what really matters is what s underground, in our lively soils. 4. NON-INTERVENTION WINEMAKING IS A GAME OF DETAILS "I try to avoid adding my influence to BenMarco wines," Edy says. "What I really like to see is what the vines can do, without any kind of winemaking influence." 5. WHAT MAKES HIS WINES OVERDELIVER? When we think we know all about terroirs, vines and wines, we realize there are still many things to discover in viticulture. This is our food for thought. The day we stop believing in this is the day we start to die. 3. NEW EXCITING APPELLATIONS If there are high quality, recently discovered sites for viticulture in the Uco Valley, then Los Chacayes, Los Arboles and Gualtallary are the top notch ones!

UCO VALLEY 89 Los Arboles SOUTH UCO VALLEY LAS TUNAS RIVER TUPUNGATO Los Chacayes Gualtallary 94 80% MALBEC 20% A ltamira MALBEC SAN CARLOS 92 CABERNET FRANC CABERNET SAUVIGNON TUNUYÁN 40 NORTH UCO VALLEY EXPRESIVO TUNUYÁN RIVER LUJÁN DE CUYO

benmarco and the soil connection

benmarco malbec Los Chacayes Terroir is translated in purity of fruit with bright acidity, firm tannins and great length. los chacayes soil profile - Its heat summation is situated slightly above other GI s like Gualtallary and Altamira. - This a colluvium - alluvium soil, with a sandy loam frame in the first 10 inches that confers excellent drainage. - The second layer is formed by a large amount of calcareous incrustations and white colored stones down until 6 feet. A layer of black caliche splits the last layer leaving a sandy loam bed underneath. benmarco cabernet sauvignon Los Árboles Terroir is translated in bright, persistent flavors with juicy acidity. los árboles soil profile - High altitude terroir based on Tunuyán, closest neighbour GI to Gualtallary. - The main soils in Los Árboles are alluvial loam with strong rounded stones presence making it a very particular terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon. - The first layer of soil is a 12-inch layer of a sandy-loam matrix. - There is a mix of medium and large alluvial rocks filling the whole profile down for 5 feet. - The deepest layer of 8 feet is formed by gravel. benmarco expresivo Gualtallary Terroir is translated in wines with mineral notes, firm finegrained tannins and great length. gualtallary soil profile - One of the coolest climates GI s within the Uco Valley - It could be compared to Burgundy but regularly can be situated in the same pattern as higher Bordeaux or Napa (as far as heat summation is concerned). - Soils of North West Gualtallary are typically alluvial. - Wind erosion has placed 4 inches of natural vegetation on this soil, forming the 1st layer. - Down to a depth of 7 feet, the soil is rocky and gravelly and has medium size alluvial stones coated with calcareous and mixed with calcium carbonate crusts (caliche). - The deepest layer sits over a big river bed of alluvial stones and gravel. - The soil is extremely poor in organic material and has a very good drainage leading the plant to go deeper underground.

"In the latest reviews BenMarco has received scores of 92+ from major wine publications".