Salentein
Beginning
Myndert Pon's vision of producing first-class wines
From the very beginning, the extraordinary charm of the Uco Valley shaped the vision of the founder, Myndert Pon, to produce top-class wines and inspired him to create a world-class wine region from the Uco Valley. In 1996, Pon arrived in the Uco Valley with the intention of not only establishing a vineyard but also transforming the region. His long-term and comprehensive vision was the key to transforming the region. It is thanks to his passion for work, love for the land and dedication to people that twenty years later the Uco Valley has become a world-class name and the most recognizable wine region of Argentina in the world.
Uco Valley
The Salentein wineries are the heart and soul of the Uco Valley - a wonderful project that captured the imaginations of Argentines and wine lovers from around the world. Salentein has created a new vision of quality and character for this extraordinary region. The company honors and promotes the culture and inhabitants of the Uco Valley while producing wines that are successful around the world. The Uco Valley is definitely the future of Argentinean wine. The high elevations and rocky alluvial soils create ideal conditions for the production of world-class wines. For twenty years, Salentein has been a leader in the Uco Valley, offering a unique combination of properties in the most recognizable sub-regions.
A team of winemakers
JOSÉ GALANTE SALENTEIN'S - Chief Winemaker
Thanks to over 40 vintages, José Galante is considered the father of modern winemaking in Argentina. Galante's influence goes back for generations and perfects Argentine wines, taking them to the international stage. Prior to joining Bodegas Salentein in 2010, Galante led the Catena Zapata Group for over thirty years and worked with a number of international wine consultants.
The wine production philosophy of the Salentein winery is an exact reflection of that of Galante. The whole spectrum of fruit aromas and flavors is fully preserved thanks to the delicate wine-making process and the latest technology. He also believes that oak should be present in the wine, but without damaging the variety and terroir character. The end result is, as he put it, "aromatic, highly concentrated wines with a delicate tannin texture, smooth and silky, and with a long-lasting finish that truly reflect the very essence of the Uco Valley."
Renowned international wine consultant Paul Hobbs says: “In the early 1990s José Galante was a trusted friend of mine, ready to contribute to our pioneering project that brought Malbec and Argentinian wines to the international scene. He is a master of elegance and strength with a rich repertoire of white and red wines. José Galante is Argentina's greatest winemaker of our time. '
Winemaker Tim Atkin puts José Galante on the podium in the 2016 Argentinian Wine Report as the Legend of Winemaking from Argentina.
GUSTAVO SOTO, SALENTEIN AGRONOM - "good wine is born in a vineyard"
Like any good vineyard manager, Gustavo Soto scans the horizon regularly. In the Uco Valley, growing high-quality grapes is more than a job - it's a way of life. "At university, when I was studying viticulture, I began to realize what the Uco Valley really was," says Soto. "I was born here, but I had to look at it from a distance to appreciate how wonderful it is." Soto, who has focused Salentein's attention on grape quality, oversees the naturally sustainable vineyard management and precise viticulture practices to ensure the diversity of the Teroir of the Uco Valley. For Soto, who believes that "good wine is born in a vineyard", protecting the environment is essential to wine quality. He manages vineyards to preserve the native ecosystem. “In this valley, we have exceptional conditions for the cultivation of high-quality grapes - hills, suitable temperatures, great soil and perhaps the best water in Argentina. It is my job to make sure that we do everything in our power to obtain the most distinctive premium grapes thanks to these conditions. When people drink our wines, I want them to be surprised - wondering what is it about this land that created such wonderful wine. And I want my children and grandchildren to be able to say the same."
SALENTEINGRAN VALLE DE UCO BLEND
Our iconic Salentein Gran VU Blend wine expresses the terroir of Valle de Uco (Uco Valley), offering a unique blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties. This limited wine reflects the philosophy of our main winemaker José Galante, who has developed some of the finest Argentinean wines. Together with the entrepreneurial and visionary spirit of our founder Myndert Pona, this wine underlines the role of Bodegas Salentein as a pioneering vineyard in the Uco Valley. The Malbec grape comes from the El Oasis estate on a plot of 1,200 meters above sea level, with a sandy loam soil, and the Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been carefully selected from the rows on the El Oasis Plot plot at 1,150 meters above sea level where the soil is sandy and rich in pebbles (over 80%).
"LA BODEGA" winery
A magnificent winery, designed with both form and function in mind, in the shape of a cross that allows for a non-standard, gentle handling of the grapes, reducing the distance the wine has to travel between production steps. Each of the wings is a small wine bar with two levels - the ground level with stainless steel tanks and French wooden vats for fermentation and storage, and an underground level for aging wine in oak barrels. Two levels allow the wine to flow from the tanks to the barrels using the traditional gravity conveying system. The four wings converge in a circular central chamber that resembles an amphitheater and was inspired by ancient classical temples. In addition to functionality, the shape and materials of the winery also reflect the religious roots of the valley. Jesuit missionaries settled here in the 16th century and cultivated some of the first vineyards in the region, and thanks to the Ancient Andean Indians, whose sacrifices to the goddess of fertility and life were made in holes dug in the ground, the underground levels were transformed into wine aging rooms.
