Belasco de Baquedano

The renowned winery Belasco de Baquedano is an oasis for wine lovers and is located in the picturesque region of Mendoza, Argentina. With a long history and a passion for quality, this winery has carved out a firm place in the world of viticulture.

The History

The legacy of Belasco de Baquedano dates back to 1831, when Juan Ignacio Belasco was born in Viana, Spain. His family was involved in the production of Pacharan, a slow berry-anise liqueur. In the late 1980s, Juan Ignacio entered the wine business by purchasing vineyards and building a winery in the Navarra region of Spain.

In the early 1990s, Juan Ignacio became fascinated by the Malbec grape variety. With the support of renowned vineyard consultant and former Mouton Rothschild chief winemaker Bertrand Bourdil, he explored Argentina for over a decade in search of exceptional vineyards to create equally exceptional Malbec wines. Eventually, they discovered and acquired 222 acres of old Malbec vineyards that belonged to an Italian family and whose grapes were contracted to surrounding wineries in the Lujan de Cuyo region of Mendoza.

In 2003, Juan Ignacio, with the help of his son Mikel, began constructing the Belasco de Baquedano Winery on the property adjacent to the 100-year-old vineyards. It was completed in 2008 and produced its first vintage. Juan Ignacio passed away in 2017, but Mikel continues his father's passion for creating some of the world's best Malbec wines.

Soil

Throughout Mendoza, the Agrelo district of Lujan De Cuyo is considered one of the most important growing areas in all of Argentina. Often referred to as "The Golden Mile," the sandy, fine-grained soils rest on silt and clay deposits and are regarded as some of the best in the province.

Weather

The district sits 1,020 meters above sea level, and the natural growing conditions are ideal for producing premium wines. Warm days are balanced by cool nights that can drop by up to 7ºC. Despite very low rainfall during the growing season, the vines still benefit from the proximity of the Andes, which feed the Mendoza River.

Focus

The most commonly planted grape variety in Alto Agrelo is Malbec. The combination of these elements allows for an extraordinary diversity that enriches the flavors of the wines, deepens the color, and balances the body.

OLD VINE MALBEC

Our estate exclusively comprises 222 acres of old Malbec vines (100 years old in 2010) from original French clones. Our vines, at the foot of the Aconcagua mountains (the highest peaks in the Americas), use the melted snow water from the Andes for natural irrigation. In drier years, we still have full control over our cultivation techniques and can utilize drip irrigation from our own reservoir. The rows are also planted as closely as possible to promote a smaller, more concentrated yield. These practices allow us to control our yields, which are barely 1.5 tons per acre.

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY

The winery is designed to be both functional and impressive. Everything shines, from the red-painted concrete floors to the gleaming stainless-steel tanks and polished oak barrels behind brick arches. With state-of-the-art technology, we use cooled grape chambers, gravity-based grape delivery from the sorting table to the tank, Délestage (submerged cap) tanks to maximize intensity and balance by extracting more color and flavor from the skins, as well as a temperature- and humidity-controlled lounge area for bottle storage.

ELIZABETH (“LIZY”) BORDIN

Winemaker

With over a decade of experience and several winemaking degrees, Lizy creates our wines with a French influence. Using hand-harvested grapes and 100% aging in French oak barrels, she employs traditional craftsmanship techniques to leave the wines unfiltered and unstabilized. These practices preserve subtle aromas and flavors and promote richness, body, and color.

MICHEL ROLLAND

Wine Consultant

Throughout his career, Rolland has collaborated with over 250 top wineries in 14 countries around the world, including France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, and the USA, and is recognized for contributing to the development of the art of viticulture and winemaking as it is known today. He sees the true potential of Belasco Malbec's over 100-year-old vines from Agrelo as some of the best wines in the world.

BELASCO DE BAQUEDANO

Mendoza

Pass through the imposing gates of Belasco de Baquedano, drive along a long, smooth gravel road between the vineyards, and up to the massive entrance door of the impressive modern building in Mayan style that rises five stories high. Once inside, the tasting lounge invites you with its wooden bar, framed by oversized portraits of Argentine landscapes. Private tastings are offered upstairs in a glass-enclosed room with views of the vineyards and the majestic Andes to the west, at a custom-made table with individual sinks and glass shelves at each place setting.

AROMA ROOM

Discover the nuances of wine! The room showcases 46 aromas in clear plexiglass columns arranged along the walls of a long rectangular space. Turn a lever on the side of a column, a baffle turns, and an intense scent is released from a small capsule of oil.

• Vanilla
• Berries
• Spices
• Flowers
• Wood

Like the rest of the winery, the tanks are placed below ground, allowing only the silver lid to be visible above the burgundy concrete floor and beneath the red walls illuminated by warm spotlights.

NAVARRA RESTAURANT

Overlooking the Andes on the top floor of the brick building, the Navarra Restaurant offers a lavish lunch in a broadly terraced space with spectacular views of the Andes. Featuring upscale South American cuisine that complements our old vine wines, enjoy a four-course menu paired with four wines from Belasco.

The winery and restaurant of Belasco de Baquedano are open daily without an appointment.