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ARGENTINA
ORGANIC
of the venture. Bandini acquired a 70-hectare estate on the edge of the Andes Mountains in
the Las Compuertas Geographical Indication area.
Finca Bandini receives the first water from the Andes, when the thaw begins, after the winter
snowfalls. And that is the hallmark of the entire project.
The relationship with water is so important that two of its lines bear names related to its
occurrence on the estate. One is Los Muros, inspired by the locks from which water was administered
for the areas of Las Compuertas and Vistalba, and the other is Dos Cauces, named
after the meltwater streams of the Andes that bathe the property’s land. “The challenge was
enormous”, recalls Pelayes. “We had to rebuild the estate, define an agronomic proposition
from scratch, build the well and a dam, design the irrigation system, relocate more than
4,000 olive trees and plant and convert 59 hectares of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc and Petit Verdot, on an estate where there were only 15 hectares of vines. It was a very
ambitious master plan.”
In just a few years, the winery has already secured important exports to the US and Brazilian
markets, with Alberto Moreno’s guidance as winemaker and consultancy by Marcelo Pelleriti, who
has experience in Mendoza and Pomerol, Bordeaux, where he produced wines by Chateau La
Violette and Chateau Le Gay. In addition to Los Muros (Blanc de Blancs, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon)
and Dos Cauces (Blanc de Blancs, Malbec), the estate’s lines include Terroir Único Bandini
House of Wines, Magno Corpore (Malbec), Bandini Malbec Rosé and the sparkling wine Aurum,
made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer.
Finca Bandini only produces high-end wines, certified for its Good Agricultural Practices
and organic techniques. “For us, the commitment is to care for the environment. We do it
out of conviction, not because our distributors compel us to do so”.
CAROLINA PELAYES, CEO OF FINCA BANDINI
108 AUTUMN 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE