Pyros Wines Pioneers of Pedernal
Hidden away in a valley between the imposing Andes and the rugged Sierra de Pedernal lies one of Argentina’s best vineyard sites: El Valle de Pedernal (the Pedernal Valley). With a truly unique terroir, dizzyingly high altitude, and its protective mountain ranges, this valley produces some of the best wines in Argentina.
This is remote country. The valley is 90 kilometers / 56 miles from San Juan, which is 169 kilometers / 105 miles north of the epicenter of Argentine viticulture, Mendoza. The late Mijndert Pon, founder of the award-winning Bodegas Salentein in the Uco Valley, arrived in the valley in 2008 and instantly recognized the region’s potential. He was struck by the limestone content of the soils, unique among Argentine winegrowing regions, and he set out to make the first range of wines showcasing this special Pedernal terroir.
Viticulture developed here in the 1990s and now there are 800 hectares / 2,000 acres of vines, of which 350 hectares / 875 acres belong to Bodegas Pyros. The name Pyros comes from the Greek word for “fire.” In this region, local indigenous people used to build fires by striking the flint stones that dominate the valley floor. In fact, “pedernal” in Spanish means flint, and the different forms of rocks and deposits in the soils here underpin the philosophy of these exclusive wines from Argentina.
Gustavo Matocq, the vineyard manager, is a key member of the winemaking team. He has worked at Pyros since 2011 and is one of the most experienced agronomists in the Pedernal Valley. Winemaker Paula Gonzalez previously worked at Graffigna, where she oversaw their premium wines from Pedernal; she has also worked a harvest with iconic Spanish producer Comando G. She is aided by the renowned American winemaker Paul Hobbs, who makes his own premium range of wines in California and consults around the world.
The goal of Pyros Wines is to create high-quality wines that reflect this special landscape. Whereas the malbecs from the plains of Mendoza tend to be more fruit-forward, Pyros’ wines from Pedernal offer natural freshness, fine-grained tannins, and minerality. They are deep in color, intense in aromas, very complex, and elegant.
Terroir
Several elements set the Pedernal Valley apart from other wine regions of Argentina, the most important being the presence of calcareous soils of a geological origin. Only 7% of soils around the world are limestone, and it is even rarer that they contain flint. Here in the Pedernal Valley, this rare type of soil combines with extreme elevations to produce specific growing conditions. The resulting wines are stony, fresh, and mineral driven.
The valley is located within the province of San Juan, which is overshadowed by the Precordillera Central (Central Foothills) of the Andes. Over 80% of this region is mountainous and even the Pedernal Valley sits at 1,250 to 1,500 meters / 4,500 to 5,000 feet. This extreme altitude is key to the naturally high acidity of the wines and allows them to age gracefully.
Viticulture
In the Pedernal Valley, the skies are so clear that a world-famous observatory, El Leoncito, is located here. The clean air is mostly due to a strong breeze that makes its way from the south in Mendoza through the valley, passing between the Precordillera and the Sierra de Pedernal. This wind keeps the area naturally free from disease and pests, essentially managing the canopy organically. It also regulates temperatures in the region which helps to maintain balance and ripeness in the grapes.
Apart from the important presence of limestone, the Pyros vineyards also benefit from very porous soils which allow good drainage and for the roots to grow very deep to access water. The vines are also kept just moist enough by drip irrigation, which draws water from underground aquifers from the Andes snowmelt.
Within this special landscape, Pyros has planted vineyards with many different exposures, orientations, and elevations. The winemakers take advantage of these variations in plots to express the individuality of each vineyard site.
From the Pedernal Valley to Bottle
The Pyros winemaking team aims to capture individual vineyard character in each bottle of wine. Grapes are hand-harvested and selected yeasts are used to maintain consistency and quality. Oak is judiciously selected from an array of new and old, French and American barrels of different sizes. Wines are fermented in stainless steel or oak, and aged in barrel only where it aids in the full expression of fruit and natural complexity.
