«
Salta
,
Argentina
Molinos
Ancient High History
Home to the oldest winery in Argentina, this spot is a time capsule located closer to the sun than most European ski slopes. It is where colonial tradition holds hands with extreme elevation viticulture.
Home to the oldest winery in Argentina, this spot is a time capsule located closer to the sun than most European ski slopes. It is where colonial tradition holds hands with extreme elevation viticulture.
Home to the oldest winery in Argentina, this spot is a time capsule located closer to the sun than most European ski slopes. It is where colonial tradition holds hands with extreme elevation viticulture.
Taste profile
Pitch black
Savory herbs
Electric acid
You might expect these wines to knock you out with alcohol, but the altitude preserves acidity like a cryogenic chamber. Malbec here is almost black in color with savory herbal notes, while Torrontés smells like a flower shop explosion. Winemakers are largely moving away from heavy oak to let that terrifyingly bright mountain fruit scream its lungs out. It is concentrated power delivered with surprising elegance and freshness.
You might expect these wines to knock you out with alcohol, but the altitude preserves acidity like a cryogenic chamber. Malbec here is almost black in color with savory herbal notes, while Torrontés smells like a flower shop explosion. Winemakers are largely moving away from heavy oak to let that terrifyingly bright mountain fruit scream its lungs out. It is concentrated power delivered with surprising elegance and freshness.
You might expect these wines to knock you out with alcohol, but the altitude preserves acidity like a cryogenic chamber. Malbec here is almost black in color with savory herbal notes, while Torrontés smells like a flower shop explosion. Winemakers are largely moving away from heavy oak to let that terrifyingly bright mountain fruit scream its lungs out. It is concentrated power delivered with surprising elegance and freshness.
The vibe
Colonial dust
Sacred silence
Thin air
Imagine a colonial village that forgot time exists, nestled among jagged mountains that look like the surface of Mars. This is not a quick day trip, it is a pilgrimage. Dust kicks up on unpaved roads, vicuñas stare at you judgmentally, and the air is so thin you get winded just uncorking a bottle. It feels sacred, silent, and incredibly remote, dominated by adobe architecture and ancient church bells.
Imagine a colonial village that forgot time exists, nestled among jagged mountains that look like the surface of Mars. This is not a quick day trip, it is a pilgrimage. Dust kicks up on unpaved roads, vicuñas stare at you judgmentally, and the air is so thin you get winded just uncorking a bottle. It feels sacred, silent, and incredibly remote, dominated by adobe architecture and ancient church bells.
Imagine a colonial village that forgot time exists, nestled among jagged mountains that look like the surface of Mars. This is not a quick day trip, it is a pilgrimage. Dust kicks up on unpaved roads, vicuñas stare at you judgmentally, and the air is so thin you get winded just uncorking a bottle. It feels sacred, silent, and incredibly remote, dominated by adobe architecture and ancient church bells.
Who's who
Donald Hess
Colomé titan
Oak-free Dávalos
Bodega Colomé acts as the sun around which everything orbits here, founded in 1831 and revived by the late Donald Hess. It is a must-visit titan. Then there is the Dávalos family at Bodega Tacuil, absolute purists who believe oak barrels are the devil's furniture and refuse to use wood, proving that high-elevation fruit needs no makeup to look gorgeous.
Bodega Colomé acts as the sun around which everything orbits here, founded in 1831 and revived by the late Donald Hess. It is a must-visit titan. Then there is the Dávalos family at Bodega Tacuil, absolute purists who believe oak barrels are the devil's furniture and refuse to use wood, proving that high-elevation fruit needs no makeup to look gorgeous.
Bodega Colomé acts as the sun around which everything orbits here, founded in 1831 and revived by the late Donald Hess. It is a must-visit titan. Then there is the Dávalos family at Bodega Tacuil, absolute purists who believe oak barrels are the devil's furniture and refuse to use wood, proving that high-elevation fruit needs no makeup to look gorgeous.
LOCAL TALES
The Governor's Daughter
The Governor's Daughter
The Governor's Daughter
Long before hipster sommeliers started obsessing over high-altitude juice, a Spanish Governor named Nicolás Severo de Isasmendi y Echalar decided this dustbowl was the promised land. In 1854, his daughter Ascensión brought pre-phylloxera Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon vines from France, expanding the estate her father founded in 1831. Legend has it she ruled the estate with an iron fist and a glass in hand. These gnarled old vines survived wars, economic crashes, and changing fashions, quietly producing concentrated grapes in the thin air while the rest of the world looked at Mendoza. It is history you can literally drink, provided you can handle the elevation.
Long before hipster sommeliers started obsessing over high-altitude juice, a Spanish Governor named Nicolás Severo de Isasmendi y Echalar decided this dustbowl was the promised land. In 1854, his daughter Ascensión brought pre-phylloxera Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon vines from France, expanding the estate her father founded in 1831. Legend has it she ruled the estate with an iron fist and a glass in hand. These gnarled old vines survived wars, economic crashes, and changing fashions, quietly producing concentrated grapes in the thin air while the rest of the world looked at Mendoza. It is history you can literally drink, provided you can handle the elevation.
Art in the Clouds
Art in the Clouds
Art in the Clouds
Most wineries build a tasting room and call it a day. Donald Hess, the Swiss millionaire who bought Colomé, decided to build a shrine to light. Specifically, a museum dedicated to artist James Turrell, located in the absolute middle of nowhere at 2,300 meters above sea level. You drive for hours on dirt roads, dodging llamas, only to arrive at a world-class art installation where light is the medium. It sounds like a fever dream, but it is real. Sipping biodynamic Malbec while staring at mind-bending optical illusions inside a mountain vineyard is the definition of a flex. It is surreal, pretentious in the best way, and totally unforgettable.
Most wineries build a tasting room and call it a day. Donald Hess, the Swiss millionaire who bought Colomé, decided to build a shrine to light. Specifically, a museum dedicated to artist James Turrell, located in the absolute middle of nowhere at 2,300 meters above sea level. You drive for hours on dirt roads, dodging llamas, only to arrive at a world-class art installation where light is the medium. It sounds like a fever dream, but it is real. Sipping biodynamic Malbec while staring at mind-bending optical illusions inside a mountain vineyard is the definition of a flex. It is surreal, pretentious in the best way, and totally unforgettable.
The Anti-Oak Crusaders
The Anti-Oak Crusaders
The Anti-Oak Crusaders
In a world where winemakers often use oak barrels like a chef uses salt, the folks at Bodega Tacuil are the radical nudists of the wine scene. Located even higher up than their neighbors, they have a strict 'no wood' policy that borders on religious dogma. The Dávalos family believes that when you grow grapes this close to the sun, masking them with vanilla and toast flavors is a crime against nature. They age their wines in concrete tanks, letting the pure, unadulterated terror of the terroir shine through. The result is wine that tastes like the mountain itself - rocky, herbal, and intense. It is raw, unfiltered honesty in a bottle.
In a world where winemakers often use oak barrels like a chef uses salt, the folks at Bodega Tacuil are the radical nudists of the wine scene. Located even higher up than their neighbors, they have a strict 'no wood' policy that borders on religious dogma. The Dávalos family believes that when you grow grapes this close to the sun, masking them with vanilla and toast flavors is a crime against nature. They age their wines in concrete tanks, letting the pure, unadulterated terror of the terroir shine through. The result is wine that tastes like the mountain itself - rocky, herbal, and intense. It is raw, unfiltered honesty in a bottle.
LOCAL WINE STYLES
Argentinian Malbec
Imagine climbing a mountain just to jump into a pool of blackberry jam. High-altitude vineyards pump these bottles full of intense fruit flavors and velvety textures that practically scream for a slice of grilled beef.
Imagine climbing a mountain just to jump into a pool of blackberry jam. High-altitude vineyards pump these bottles full of intense fruit flavors and velvety textures that practically scream for a slice of grilled beef.
Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon
Living next door to a superstar isn't easy, yet this bold red holds its own with impressive swagger. Expect darker fruits and savory spices that prove Argentina isn't just a one-trick pony.
Living next door to a superstar isn't easy, yet this bold red holds its own with impressive swagger. Expect darker fruits and savory spices that prove Argentina isn't just a one-trick pony.
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