| Passion, persistence and a ruthless determination to plant the world?s highest elevation vineyard led Donald Hess to the Salta region of Argentina to plant Malbec in an estate vineyard he named Altura Maxima - Maximum Height Bodega Colome, since 1831, is the oldest working winery in Argentina. It is located in the Upper Calchaqui Valley and has 4 Estates between 1. 700 and 3. 111 metres above sea level, the highest altitude of Argentina, making Colome a unique project in the world. With the Andes as the backdrop and close to the borders of Bolivia and Chile, the Salta region of Argentina is less accessible than better known wine regions in the country - some have called the area impenetrable. Planted in 2007 and approximately 56 planted acres in size, the Altura Maxima Vineyard sits at 10,207 ft. elevation (approximately 3,000m) and produced its inaugural vintage of Malbec in 2012. The true expression of terroir in this Malbec comes from the vineyard?s extreme altitude, the soil composition (alluvial, sandy soils with a high percentage of gravel) and the semiarid-desert climate. The vineyard receives much more sun and much less UV protection, which produces thicker skinned grapes that deliver a more robust mouthfeel supported by fresh acidity. |
