Our first destination was the Amalaya winery in Cafayate. I have been selling Amalaya wines for many years so it was a delight to actually visit the winery. Part of the Hess group which also owns Colomé, it is a seriously impressive new winery with stunning views over the valley.
We started with lunch – hearty bowlfuls of pear and blue cheese salad followed by a lamb casserole paired with stunning single vineyard wines: Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. After a short pause to reset the table, we were introduced to Jorge – the Amalaya winemaker. Jorge gave us an absolutely fantastic masterclass about the terroir of the Salta region, the significance of the altitude, day night temperature differences and soil and irrigation regimes. Interspersed through his talk we tasted a super array of wines that showed different vineyards, altitudes and winemaking techniques. There were many highlights but their Malbec Autentico stood out for its superb ripe fruit with no oak invovement. Unusually for this calibre of wine it had been matured in concrete. A great first visit.
The day was not yet over. We checked in to the amazing Patios de Cafayate hotel and then headed next door to the Esteco winery. Sebastian hosted a brief but very informative tour around the winery. Esteco are very highly regarded and produce around 8 million bottles per year – one of the biggest in the region. After a quick trip around the vineyards we settled in for their Magical Nights Experience – gathered round a roaring wood fire, under the stars tasting a range of their wines accompanied by fresh empanadas , cheeses and meats. It was a truly memorable experience
