About Hacienda del Sacramento winery
Patrick and Gabriela started the boutique project with a single vineyard of Tannat, Merlot and Pinot Noir which was planted in 2009 and yielded its first wines in 2015. The 57-hectare estate (six of which are planted with vineyards) also has an olive tree grove, native forests and space for horseriding.
With a focus on premium, limited-production wines, their estate wines have already been garnered with acknowledgements from international magazines, already exported to the UK.
Both Patrick and Gabriela are the first generation of vignerons in their families and started the project with the ambition of making single varietals and blends expressing this unique riverside terroir.
About the Hacienda del Sacramento vineyards
Located 14 kilometres from the cobblestone city of Colonia del Sacramento, the vineyards have a significant climatic influence from the River Plate which keeps temperatures mild and stable throughout the year.
The vineyard is planted in three main sectors, the first was planted with Tannat and Merlot. The second sector has been planted with Pinot Noir and Viognier, and the third and final sector is planted with Cabernet Franc vines. The soils are predominantly sandy-lime with some clay.
In total, the winery has 57 hectares across the estate, only six of which are planted with vines, the rest of the estate is planted with olive trees and left with native forests for horseriding and tourism.
About Hacienda del Sacramento wines
The first release of Hacienda del Sacramento wines was in 2015 with a Tannat, Merlot and Pinot Noir and today the portfolio has expanded to include red blends, a white Viognier and a Pinot Noir Rosé.
The portfolio includes two lines:
HACIENDA DEL SACRAMENTO SINGLE VINEYARD
Hacienda del Sacramento Single Vineyard is line with wines made from select lots from the single vineyard, and the grapes are hand-harvest and carefully vinified with a potential for ageing. Within the range, some highlights include the Tannat-Merlot blend and Pinot Noir Rosé, as well as the single varietal wines.
HACIENDA DE LA COLONIA ESTATE WINE
Hacienda de la Colonia Estate Wine is the second line coming from several plots from the vineyard and the focus is on fruit-forward and easy drinking wines. Harvest is both manual and mechanical.
About the winemaker Patrick Peters-Buhler
Patrick is the owner and winemaker of Hacienda del Sacramento and studied viticulture and winemaking at universities in Bordeaux and Montpellier, bringing experience from the other side of the Atlantic with him.
Patrick and his wife Gabriela are currently both studying at the Wines & Spirits Education Trust in London in order to also offer WSET classes at the winery in Colonia ready for 2022.
Consultant winemaker Daniel Cis
Daniel Cis is the consultant winemaker and is well-versed in making wines in Colonia, as a leading winemaker in the region of Carmelo in particular.
“So much of every wine is defined in the vineyard, by the grapes that arrive to the winery, and through the work in the vineyard,” says Daniel Cis.
“There’s aren’t any miracles in the winery – it is important that we understand the vineyard first, and find the quality and characteristics in the grapes themselves.”
Visiting Hacienda del Sacramento