Belasco de Baquedano
Belasco de Baquedano is a Lay & Wheeler favourite with a remarkable pedigree. The estate was founded in Mendoza by Juan Ignacio Belasco with the help of Bertrand Bourdil, one of the most talented winemakers of his generation. Bertrand was involved in the creation of Opus One (the joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Phillippe de Rothschild), and was fully responsible for three 100-point wines as the former winemaker at Château Mouton-Rothschild in Bordeaux. Juan Ignacio and Bertrand decided to make world-class Malbec in the Alto Agrelo Valley in Luján de Cuyo in Argentina. Their 222 hectares of Malbec vines, some planted over a century ago in the foothills of the Andes mountain range lie over 1,000 metres above sea-level and the combination of high altitude, warm days, tiny yields and meticulous winemaking creates wines of intense flavour and balance. They have also started growing Torrontés, Argentina's aromatic white. Today, the estate is overseen by Juan Ignacio’s son, Mikel, who is continuing in his father’s footsteps, crafting some of the finest wines in the country.