In 1989, Paul Hobbs visited Mendoza for the first time. Driving over the Andes from Chile with his longstanding friend Jorge Catena, brother of the famous Nicolas Catena, he fell in love with the place, the people, but also with the potential to make great wine.
He began experimenting with wild fermented Chardonnay and then with the variety that would become Argentina's calling card, Malbec. His first 10 barrel vintage of Malbec persuaded the American press of the potential of this grape. Paul established his own winery, Vina Cobos, in 1999 and 20 years later, Paul continues to makes wines that are authentic expressions of the terroir from which they come. In an exploration of the different terroirs across Mendoza Paul looks for the most distinguished regions in Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco to produce wines that uniquely express their origins. The winery’s elegant and balanced wines are a result of meticulous vineyard farming and utmost respect for terroir.
Viticulture
Luján de Cuyo, is known historically as the ‘prime zone’ for wine-growing in Mendoza, situated at a high altitude of 3,250 to 3,470 feet (990 to 1,060 meters) and in a semi-desert climate, the low-nutrient gravelly soils provide ideal conditions for producing high quality grapes.
