Few wineries have shaped modern Argentine wine like Bodegas Salentein. In 1996 the Dutch entrepreneur Mijndert Pon arrived in what was then a rocky desert in the Uco Valley, south of Mendoza, and set about planting vineyards at extreme altitude with a single ambition: to make wines like no other. Three decades on, Salentein ranks among the most admired estates in Argentina, placed 12th in the World’s Best Vineyards Awards 2025 and named Winery of the Year in Tim Atkin MW’s Argentina Report 2026.
The estate is as striking as the wines. Its landmark cross-shaped winery ferments in four wings before gravity carries the young wines down into underground cellars, all set against the full sweep of the Andes. The vines climb from 1,050 to 1,600 metres, where fierce sunlight and cold mountain nights build intensity and freshness in equal measure across a remarkably diverse patchwork of soils.The philosophy is terroir first. Salentein farms and vinifies to express the essence of each site with purity and finesse, and that curiosity has carried the team beyond Mendoza to pioneer the high, stony Pedernal Valley in San Juan, home of the Pyros Appellation wines. The range runs from the effortless Elevado and Cambalache bottlings through Killka, Signos and the Barrel Selection wines to Pyros, the profound Numina pair and the single vineyard Las Secuoyas and El Tomillo.Across every tier the signature holds: high-altitude energy, polished fruit and a quiet, confident elegance.
Malbec from the cool, rocky heights of the Pedernal Valley. Ripe plum and wild cherry are threaded with delicate thyme, a signature of these mountain vineyards. The palate is juicy and refreshing, beautifully structured and in harmonious balance to a long finish. Very good with lamb, beef and herb-laced dishes.
