Established in 1831, Bodega Colomé stands proudly as the oldest working winery in Argentina and home to some of the highest vineyards on the planet. Tucked away in the far north of the country within the Upper Calchaquí Valley, the estate was originally founded by the Spanish Governor of Salta. In 1854, his daughter Ascensión brought the first pre-phylloxera Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon vines to the property. Remarkably, the fruit from those original ancestral plots is still harvested today, anchoring the estate's contemporary **Argentine wines** with an irreplaceable link to viticultural history.
While those early efforts were deeply pioneering, the estate underwent its most dramatic renaissance in 2001 when Swiss entrepreneur Donald Hess acquired the property. Hess invested heavily not only in upgrading the winery infrastructure but also in the surrounding Colomé village itself. By building schools, a community centre, and a world-class art museum, he transformed a remote outpost into a thriving independent community. Today, the majority of the local population is directly employed by the winery, creating an absolute harmony between the social fabric of the valley and its elite winemaking operations.
The estate's biodynamically farmed vineyards span four major terroirs planted at breathtaking altitudes between 1,750 and 3,111 metres above sea level, culminating in the legendary 'Altura Máxima' parcel. At these extreme alpine elevations, a massive diurnal temperature variation of over 20°C allows grapes to ripen evenly while retaining brilliant natural acidity. To shield themselves from the fierce ultraviolet rays, the grapes develop exceptionally thick skins, yielding high-altitude Malbec of immense colour, perfumed aromatics, and remarkably supple, fine-grained tannins that define the freshness and purity of this majestic landscape.