Amalaya Calchaquí Valley Torrontés / Riesling 2025
Intense gold in colour with hints of green. On the nose this wine is intense and complex with aromas of citrus and green apple, which is typical of Torrontes. Delicate and silky on the palate, with great freshness and crisp acidity on the distinctly mineral finish.
Both the Torrontes and Riesling grapes were grown on the Finca San Isidro and Finca Las Mercedes vineyards. These are located in the Cafayate Valley in the very heart of the Calchaqui Valley, distinguished for being the highest wine region in the world. The climate here is very dry, with just 150mm of rain in an average year and a large diurnal range of around 20°C. The soils here are rocky, poor, and sandy, so the roots of the vines are forced to dig deep to find the vital nutrients and water they need, which in turn results in a huge concentration of flavour within the fruit.
The grapes went through a double selection process, firstly in the vineyard and then again on the sorting table at the winery. Fermentation was carried out slowly, using selected yeasts, at low temperatures to retain the varietal fruit character. The wine was aged in stainless steel tanks for three months and then a further two months in bottle.
| RRP | £14.49 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2025 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13% |
| Awards | Gold, DWWA, 2025 |
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Salta |
| Subregion | Calchaquí Valley |
| Grapes | Torrontes 85%, Riesling 15% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 2.44 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Screwcap |
In the indigenous language of the now-extinct Calchaquí tribe, Amalaya translates to ‘hope for a miracle’. Situated in the Calchaquí Valley in Salta, the Amalaya winery sits at a staggering elevation of 1,828 metres and is now part of the Hess Family Wine Estates of Hess Collection, Napa Valley fame. They run Amalaya with the same dedication to quality, sustainability and social responsibility as the other famed Hess estate in the region, Bodega Colomé.
Amalaya comprises 80 hectares of vines planted with Malbec, Torrontés, Riesling, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot, with an additional 40 hectares in development. Their grapes are sourced from two vineyards: ‘Finca Las Mercedes’ (located at 1,770 metres above sea level, with deep sandy soil) and ‘Finca San Isidro’ (located at 1,800 metres above sea level with rocky soils). Amalaya’s vines are also drip irrigated using mountain run-off water stored in reservoirs, as the climate is semi-arid and average annual rainfall is between just 120 - 180mm.
