| Since its debut vintage ten years ago, Bodegas Salentein has forged an enviable reputation worldwide for producing award-winning, premium quality wines. The estate’s winemaking team, led by the near-legendary José Galante, is one of the most revered in Argentina. Together, they strive to combine artistry, creativity and passion to craft wines that capture the finest terroirs of the Uco Valley in the famed Mendoza region. Today, Bodegas Salentein ranks among the top seven most important wine estates in the country. Killka, the latest creation from Bodegas Salentein, is named in honor of the Killka Gallery, Salentein’s world-renowned and award-winning center that was built to showcase the region’s arts, culture and gastronomy. Each label is adorned with one of the paintings from the gallery’s permanent collection. Killka is produced at the Salentein winery, just steps away from the Gallery. Designed by leading Mendoza architecture firm, Bormida &Yanzon, the facility is a uniquely cross-shaped structure with a central chamber. Each wing of the cruciform houses a single, self-contained bodega on two levels. Stainless steel tanks and French wood vats for fermentation and storage are on the ground level, while underground cellars and oak casks for aging are located on the floor below. Wine flows between each level, and from tank to barrel, via a natural gravity-flow system which reduces damage to the grapes. Bodegas Salentein has helped pioneer wine tourism in the Uco Valley and now receives 20,000 domestic and foreign visitors every year. Along with the Killka Center and the winery, the near 5,000-acre private estate in the breathtaking foothills of the Andes also features the exclusive Posada Salentein guest house, a 125-acre nature preserve and the Chapel of Gratitude. All were built by regional craftsmen using local materials and incorporating indigenous architectural features. In fact, every element of Salentein underlines the stated goal of this very progressive winery: to make high-quality Argentine wines, while respecting and supporting the people, nature and community from which the wines are created. |
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