Pielihueso, Blanco Primero - 2025
Fast Facts:
Winemaker(s): Alejandro and Celina Bartolomé
Region: Los Chacayes → Uco Valley → Mendoza → Argentina
Classification: IG Los Chacayes
Varietal(s): Torrontes, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Terroir: Sandy alluvial soils, 1,300m elevation, big day-to-night temperature swings, Andean foothills
Serving Temp: 45-50°F
Alejandro Bartolomé was winding down a long career in agronomy right as his daughter Celina was starting up her own in wine. In 2017 they planted vines together, and Pielihueso was born! Two humble hectares going into the stony ground of Los Chacayes, a high-altitude corner of Mendoza's Uco Valley where the days run warm and the nights drop cold enough to keep everything freshhh.
Pielihueso means "skin and bones," which is also their philosophy: nothing added, nothing taken away. Alejandro's decades of organic farming keeps that philosophy honest in the vineyard while Celina runs the winery's operations, and the labels come from sister Carmela by way of their brother's drawings. The whole thing is a beautiful family project.
Behind that adorable label, the Blanco Primero is co-fermented in stainless steel with a little lees contact for texture. The magic is in the elevation. At around 1,300 meters in the Andean foothills, the vines sit in sandy alluvial soil laced with granite and quartz that drains fast and keeps them a little stressed, which is exactly what gives the grapes their energy. Warm afternoons build ripe fruit, and cold nights lock in the acidity.
Why'd we pick it?
We love a whole-family participation award, and there's a real warmth to wine made at this scale. When you hear "Mendoza" most people think big, inky Malbec, so a bright little white cutie from a two-hectare family plot is a fun way to change it up. And only 200 cases exist, which is very, very little. Fun!
Field Notes
- Tastes like: White peach and citrus blossom, green apple, a squeeze of lemon. Clean with a super mineral finish and just enough texture from the sandy soils and lees contact.
- Serve it straight from the fridge and swirl it around in your glass for a few to let it open up.
- Food Pairings: May I recommend the Dungeness crab with warm butter? Or a ceviche with cucumber and fresh herbs? Black cod with a miso glaze and grilled bok choy would also be the ticket. But if you don't like seafood, a cold soba noodle salad with sesame, cucumber, and snap peas.
