| Region of production: | Salta IG |
| Winery Location: | Molinos, Salta |
| Year Established: | 1831 |
Vineyard Holdings
- Colomé (72 ha): Payogasta, Valles Calchaquíes IG. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Bonarda, and Torrontés on alluvial sandy loam soils. 2,300 meters in elevation.
- El Arenal (45 ha): Payogasta, Valles Calchaquíes IG. Malbec on alluvial sandy soils at 2,600 meters in elevation.
- Altura Máxima (26 ha): Payogasta, Valles Calchaquíes IG. Malbec, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay on alluvial sandy soils with gravel. At 3,111 meters in elevation, this is the world’s highest vineyard.
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Altura Máxima Malbec (Valles Calchaquíes IG): 100% Malbec from Finca Altura Máxima. Aged 24 months in barrel. Inaugural vintage 2012.
- 1831 Malbec (Valles Calchaquíes IG): 100% Malbec. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels. Inaugural vintage 2015.
- Auténtico Malbec (Valles Calchaquíes IG): 100% Malbec. Harvested primarily from vineyards at least 100 years old. Inaugural vintage 2011.
- Lote Especial Malbec Colomé (Valles Calchaquíes IG): 100% Malbec from Finca Colomé. Aged 12 months in barrel. Inaugural vintage 2009.
- Lote Especial Malbec El Arenal (Valles Calchaquíes IG): 100% Malbec from Finca El Arenal. Aged 12 months in barrel. Inaugural vintage 2009.
- Lote Especial Malbec La Brava (Valles Calchaquíes IG): 100% Malbec from Finca La Brava. Aged 12 months in barrel. Inaugural vintage 2009.
Average Total Production
- 600,000 bottles
Summary
Colomé is most recognized for owning and harvesting the highest vineyard on earth, its appropriately named Finca Altura Máxima, which sits 3,111 meters (10,207 feet) above sea level. Colomé’s history dates to 1831, when it was most likely founded by the governor of Salta, the Spaniard Nicolás Severo de Isasmendi y Echalar. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon first arrived at the property in 1854, under the watch of Nicolás’ daughter Ascensión and her husband, José Benjamín Dávalos. Colomé still farms several vineyard parcels from the original 1854 pre-phylloxera plantings. After nearly two centuries in the possession of the Isasmendi-Dávalos family, Colomé was purchased in 2001 by Donald Hess, owner of the Hess Collection. Thibaut Delmotte has served as winemaker since 2005.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Grapes are fermented using indigenous yeasts. Colomé relies very little on new oak and does not acidify its wines.
Producer Website: Colomé