The valley of San Rafael, located in the centre of Mendoza province, is the second largest department in Mendoza. Vine cultivation originated over 150 years ago and the department now boasts almost 9,000 hectares planted with vines. The Andes mountain range, which forms the western border of the province, provides the principal source of irrigation from its spring and summer snowmelt, distributed to the fertile valley by the Atuel and Diamante rivers. The cultivated area is protected from the cold southern winds by the Sierra Pintada, a range of foothills that spread east from the Andes, forming a special microclimate, ideal for viticulture.

In these special conditions, red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Bonarda and Syrah, together with white varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc all flourish, reproducing their full range of well defined varietal characteristics. In addition, constant technical progress and growing investment mean that these excellent wines are receiving ever more acclaim both in Argentina and around the world.

Characteristics:
Coordinates:    Latitude - 35 degrees south
Altitude:    800 metres above sea level
Soil:     Sandy, rocky
Summer temperature range:  18ºC to 22ºC
Average temperature:   14.8ºC
Average rainfall:   207 mm