Amalaya

I once heard someone say that drinking a great wine is like having an in-depth conversation with the land from which it came.

This philosophy is at the heart of Amalaya, a winery set in the beautiful Northern Calchaqui Valley of Argentina - a land which is rich with history, and the spiritual home of the Calchaqui Indian civilisation.

The chief winemaker of Amalaya, Francisco Puga, wants his wines to not only express the unique terroir of his vineyards but also to honour the Calchaqui culture. This means using sustainable methods which will take care of the land, preserving it for future generations, and using low-intervention agricultural practices which not only protect the surrounding area from chemicals and pesticides but also allow the grapes to express their true nature and character in the bottle.

Indeed, the name of the winery - Amalaya - translates as ‘hope for a miracle’ in the Calchaqui language.

The vineyards used by Amalaya are fantastic examples of the sort of viticulture Argentina has become famous for. They’re set at a very high altitude - 5,600 feet above sea level - which allows the vines to benefit from exposure to the blazing sunshine which glows over the northwestern part of this country.

The grapes are then tempered by the chilly nights, which provide extraordinary balance and plenty of acidity. The Andes mountains loom on the horizon and provide a truly stunning setting for this very special set of wines - an ancient, unmoving landscape which is expressed in every sip.

Amalaya is part of the Hess Family Wine Estates - one of the leading names in Argentine quality wines - and the expertise of this group ensures that this is a wine which truly communicates a sense of place, and allows for that ‘conversation with the land’ to happen to full effect.

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