I will take any opportunity to go to the Valle de Uco. About two hours south of the city of Mendoza, it's the newest wine zone in the region and arguably the most beautiful. Rustic, undeveloped plots of land are scattered between thriving vineyards. Here it can be a half hour in between wineries, driving through desert, fruit farms, and brush, always with the dramatic Andes in the background. Foreign investment drives the wine industry in this part of the country, with French, Italian, Swiss, and American-owned wineries dominating the landscape. Dutch-owned, Bodegas Salentein is just one example of this.
Salentein is a "must-see" destination winery in the valley, one of the largest wineries in Mendoza, with a 6 million liter capacity. With two complete wineries, a massive barrel room, a bottling line that fills 2,000 bottles an hour, a modern art museum, restaurant, hotel and chapel on the premises, this bodega was built to impress. Drawing upon the history and tradition of the Jesuits and indigenous people of the area, the winery is designed in the shape of a cross, with four wings housing four different wineries, coming together in a circular central chamber that reminds one of ancient temples. The central chamber also functions as an amphitheater, and music concerts are held in that spot at the end of the harvest season.
Indeed, wandering though the winery one feels as though they've been transported to another time, as if around every corner you might encounter a ritualistic sacrifice or witness something magical and godlike. Though the architecture calls on ancient tradition, it's tough to forget how new the winery is, and how much money has gone into this venture. Each room is shining, spotless, incredibly organized and meticulously cared for.
The barrel room, housing as many as 5,000 small French oak barrels at a time, looked more like a museum than a wine storage facility. I have never seen such an organized, presentable barrel room. One of the barrels has even been specially designed with one plastic side so that visitors can witness the level of the wine lowering as it evaporates slowly. (Interesting tidbit: this portion of wine that disappears is known as the Angel's Share.) Periodically, the barrels are topped off to replace the lost portion of wine.
While the younger wines are fermented in large stainless steel tanks, the top line, Primus, is fermented for 20 days in large French oak vats that hold 7,600 liters each. Making up about ten percent of the total production, Primus is only made in exceptional years, and the large vats are used only seven times. Quite an expensive investment, the vats cost around 18,000 Euros apiece.
Following suit, the tasting rooms are remarkably designed, with grandiose stone tables and hand painted murals by women from the local town. One early experiment with Bonarda went poorly for the winery and they were left with 5,000 bottles of unsellable wine. What did they do with it? They used it as wallpaper! The walls of the larger tasting room are filled with Bonarda.
Our tasting consisted of Salentein's premium and top end wines. We began with the 2010 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc that recently won a gold medal at the Argentina Wine Awards. Picked from vineyards at 1,500 meters above sea level and fermented in stainless steel, this Sauv Blanc is fresh and grapefruity with marked minerality. Surprisingly light bodied, with elegant citrus and tree fruit on the palate, the finish is clean and refreshing. A pretty wine.
We then moved onto the reds, tasting first the 2007 Primus Pinot Noir from vineyards at 1,250 meters above sea level. Aged one year in first-use French oak barrels, the wine greets you with toasty smoke and wild cherry on the nose. With a pleasantly rich mouthfeel, this wine reminded me of the full-bodied, velvety Pinots that I've tasted out of the Sonoma Valley. Surprisingly complex and delicious, this was probably my favorite of the tasting.
The 2007 Numina Gran Corte is made up of 85% Malbec and 15% Merlot from vineyards at 1050-1200 meters in altitude. Intense blueberry pie and blackberry jam on the nose with notes of dried plum and mint. Spicebox and cedar on the palate with a toasted finish.
Finally, the 2006 Primus Malbec was a melange of black plum, mint, red cherry and spice. Concentrated yet lush. Delicious but not interesting enough for being the top of the top Salentein wines.
After the tasting, I had a nice time wandering around snapping photos of art and meandering through the museum. The collection was an interesting blend of classical and modernist pieces, small but thoughtfully compiled. Most compelling for me were the works of Eduardo Hoffmann, a Mendoza native. Gorgeous use of light and color.
In all I agree that Salentein is a necessary stop on an Uco Valley tour. Check! Up next on my Uco Valley itinerary, O Fournier and Clos de los Siete!
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