Specialists in High and Extreme Altitude Wines

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Vineyards,Wines & Experience

Bad Brothers
High Altitude Wines

Between 1.750 y 2.000 m.a.s.l

SUNAL
Extreme Altitude Terroirs

Over 2.200 m.a.s.l

Speciality Wines
Calchaquí Valley

Between1.750 y 2.200 m.a.s.l

About Extreme Altitude Wines

Many say that driving 9 hours into the mountains on dangerous dirt roads just to check on our grapes is crazy, but then they try the wine and they understand.

Agustín Lanús

A small handful of Calchaqui Valley winemakers...

A small handful of Calchaqui Valley winemakers are currently producing wines from vineyards at the very limits of where grapes can be grown.

These vineyards are located in extremely isolated locations, making the time, resources and costs of sustaining the vineyards a challenge for even the most ardent oenologist.

Yet the superior quality of the wines produced warrants the effort as the extreme temperature variances, higher levels of solar radiation and the long maturation period results in highly concentrated and complex wines.

Among other studies, Madeleine Stenwreth report on the effects of altitude on Malbec found…

For her award-winning Research Paper for the Masters of Wine entitled “The Effect of Altitude on Malbec in Mendoza” Madeleine Stenwreth, MW used a combination of research methodologies to evaluate the impact of altitude on Malbec, including structured interviews, chemical analysis and an extensive controlled blind tasting involving 84 wines from 25 different producers. From her report…

“The results indicate that violet colour, colour intensity, and dark fruit characters are increased with altitude. A correlation between altitude and overall quality can also be identified as well as an increase in the quantity and quality of tannins with altitude.”

Producing wines at extreme altitudes requires a rare dedication, involving long hours of driving on bad roads, nervous nights as winter approaches and a steady stream of logistical headaches including monitoring maturation and managing the vineyards for optimal production in sub-optimal conditions.

In the end the simple answer to the question, “Why bother?” is found in the wine. Because for all of who spend our lives making wine, it’s always all about the wine.

ABOUT US

AGUSTÍN LANÚS

Agustín Lanús is an Argentine Agricultural Engineer, Sommelier and Master of Science in Viticulture and Oenology from the highly respected Vinifera EuroMaster program, completing his studies in Montpellier and Bordeaux, France and in Asti, Italy.

Before and after completing his master’s degree in Europe’s most prestigious wine-making program, Agustin worked in wineries around the world, including Ceretto, Alba, Italy; Chateau Beychevelle, Bordeaux, France; Rutini, Tupungato, Argentina; Bodega Burdigala, Toro, Spain; Lurton, Douro, Portugal; KWV, Paarl, South Africa.