Caelum

Caelum is a small constellation of the southern sky, and its Latin name means chisel, the sculptor's tool. The family behind the winery chose it on purpose: what the chisel is to a sculptor, their own hands are to them, in the vineyard and in the cellar. The project began in 2009 as a family business. For more than ten years the family concentrated on the vineyard and on growing quality fruit, and only then decided to close the circle and make wine under its own name. Its members trained in agronomy, oenology, sommellerie and engineering, which lets them handle most of the work themselves. Every grape comes from their own estate vineyard in Agrelo, in Luján de Cuyo, and is processed in their own winery, so they control each step from vine to bottle. They also try to keep their footprint as small as possible, from farming through to sales. The range is broader than you might expect from a small Argentine family producer. Alongside Malbec, Mendoza's signature grape, there are blends, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a white from the Italian variety Fiano and the Eclat sparkling wines in an Extra Brut style, arranged in Estate, Reserva and Gran Reserva tiers. The family also produces pistachios under the Pistachos de Altura label.

Terroir

Agrelo lies in the department of Luján de Cuyo, just south of the city of Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes. Luján de Cuyo is one of the traditional homes of Argentine Malbec, the grape that became the country's calling card here. The climate is essentially desert: dry, sunny and with very little rain, so vineyards are irrigated with snowmelt carried down by Andean rivers. Vineyards sit higher than in most European regions, and the wide gap between day and night temperatures helps the grapes keep freshness and colour. Caelum works only with fruit from its own vineyard in Agrelo.