Bodega El Esteco winery was founded in 1892 in the Calchaquí Valleys by French brothers David and Salvador Michel, along with David’s Italian wife, Gabriela Torino. Pioneers of the winemaking industry in the Calchaquí Valley, the winery was one of the first to commercialise Torrontés wines, which became one of the first Argentinean wines to be exported internationally. Today, the winery is owned by the Peñaflor Group (who also own Trapiche) and produces a diverse range of wines which includes red, white, rosé and sparkling wines, all of which you can taste on a visit to the winery or by staying overnight at their luxury wine hotel, Patios de Cafayate.
About Bodega El Esteco winery
One of the longest-running wineries in Argentina, El Esteco was first founded in 1892 by brothers David and Salvador Michel, two immigrants from France, and David’s Italian wife, Gabriela Torino, who came to make a life in the New World in Salta. They planted vines in the Calchaquí Valleys and their children and descendants continued to grow the business acquiring more vineyards and commercialising some of the first Torrontés wines internationally.
In 2004, Grupo Peñaflor purchased the estate and pivoted to focus on high quality wines relaunching as Bodega El Esteco. Today the winery makes some of the most exciting wines from the Calchaquí Valleys from their expansive vineyard estates with 780 hectares between Cafayate and Chañar Punco. Bodega El Esteco makes a diverse range of varieties and blends and produces on average 15 million bottles a year across the ranges.
About Bodega El Esteco vineyards
Bodega El Esteco has over 780 hectares within the Calchaquí Valleys, all of which are high-altitude vineyards over 1,600 metres above sea level. The vineyards are split between the regions of Cafayate (with 520 hectares planted) and Chañar Punco in Catamarca (with 260 hectares planted).
Cafayate vineyards, Calchaquí Valley, Salta
With several vineyards in Cafayate, these vineyards are where El Esteco winery gets some of their most treasured wines from old vines which can be up to 80 years old. Some of the old vines, in particular, are planted in the traditional pergola system, whereas newer plantings are in VSP. Soils are typically poor and sandy with good drainage.
El Esteco winery has also planted an exciting new vineyard in El Socorro where very rocky soils provide a different terroir which in combination with the 1,800 metres altitude the winemaking team believe it will produce unique wines with the Malbec and Cabernet Franc they have planted to date.
Chañar Punco vineyard, Calchaquí Valley, Catamarca
Chañar Punco vineyard is 80 kilometres away from Bodega El Esteco in a unique sub-region in northern Catamarca at the southern tip of the Calchaquí Valley. The vineyards, which were planted in the late 1990s, are surrounded by the Quilmes Mountains and average around 2000 meters above sea level, providing a unique microclimate with high solar exposure, hot days and cool nights, along with poor, rocky and calcareous soil.
The vineyard orientation runs from North to South which allows fresh winds from the north to pass through the vines’ canopy. The vineyard is irrigated by a drip irrigation system.
About Bodega El Esteco wines
High-altitude vineyards characterise the wines of Bodega El Esteco in all their lines which range from everyday, easy-drinking wines to some of the most complex and ageworthy of the Calchaquí Valleys.
AMARU
Amaru is the entry-level line of wines from Bodega El Esteco, meaning water in the native Quechua language. The wines are fruit-forward and easy-drinking focused on expressing the variety, which includes Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Torrontés and a Torrontés Rosé.
DON DAVID
The Don David Reserve wines are a homage to the winery’s founder, David Michel, and is a good value line of monovarietal wines including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Syrah, Bonarda, Torrontés and Chardonnay. The red wines typically spend 12 months in oak, adding some structure to the otherwise fruit-driven portfolio.
CICLOS
Inspired by the impact of the moon and sun and the great diurnal range of temperatures in the Calchaquí Valleys, the Ciclos line of wines includes monovarietal Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Torrontés and Sauvignon Blanc wines, as well as a rosé of Malbec and their top of line ‘Icono’ red blend made of Malbec and Merlot which spends 15 months in barrel. Within the Ciclos wines there are also three sparkling wines made in the Charmat method: an Extra Brut made from Chardonnay grapes, a Rosé made from a blend of Malbec and Pinot Noir, and a Torrontés Dulce which is a sweet sparkling wine for desserts and aperitifs.
EL ESTECO
The El Esteco range of wines offers excellent value for complex and distinctive wines which really reflect the high altitude terroir of the Calchaquí valleys. The two main varieties are Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which each display the much darker, spicier and fresher character so typical of the high-altitude vineyards, and there are limited-edition releases of ‘El Esteco Old Vines’ wines. This range of Old Vines wines includes Torrontés (one of the best in Argentina), Criolla, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon – which are all worth hunting down.
ALTIMUS
A long-standing icon of the Calchaquí Valleys, Altimus is the top red blend of the vintage – changing percentage of varieties and location of parcels each year, depending on what lots and barrels performed best. Malbec often leads in the blend, framed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, occasionally with Tannat, Syrah or Bonarda. It is a complex wine which spends around 18 months in oak barrels and can cellar well for over a decade.
EL ESTECO CHAÑAR PUNCO
I think this is one of the most distinctive wines in Northern Argentina. Coming from the special Chañar Punco vineyard in Catamarca, this is always a powerful wine with intense dark fruit, mineral and animal aromas coming from the rich blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot grapes planted in this field blend. It is aged for 18 months in barrel and cellared for several years in bottle before release, and could keep cellared for many more! One to decant and enjoy with steak.
About the winemaker, Alejandro Pepa
Bodega El Esteco winemaker Alejandro Pepa was born in Mendoza but moved to take up the challenge of making high-altitude wines at Bodega El Esteco where he has been for several years and focused on capturing the freshness and intensity of this extreme terroir.
“Cafayate has immeasurable riches in its soils with unique grape varieties and an excellent terroir for producing great quality grapes and wines,” says Alejandro Pepa, who works side by side with the lead viticulturist for El Esteco Francisco Tellechea.
Visiting El Esteco winery & Patios de Cafayate Hotel
Bodega El Esteco winery is in a gorgeous colonial-style white building just outside the centre of Cafayate, and offers a host of wine experiences so you can enjoy the wines and privileged location of the winery and its vineyards.
Tasting experiences include a classic tour and tasting of its emblematic wines, or you can dig in deeper with a special micro terroir tasting which focuses on special lots and old vines. You can also do a special tasting of their icon range of wines at the winery.
On Friday evenings, the winery hosts a special tasting and wine-paired dinner under the stars so you can enjoy the flavours of the Calchaquí Valleys by starlight.
To linger even longer in the evenings, book yourself in for an overnight stay at their gorgeous Hotel Patios de Cafayate which has 32 rooms in a beautiful colonial-style mansion with stunning vineyard and mountain views.