Mendel

Mendel was founded in 2003 by a partnership of Anabelle Sielecki and Roberto de la Mota. Roberto is regarded as one of Argentina’s finest winemakers, amongst whose previous employers include Weinert and Chandon. The property consisted of mostly Malbec and a few Cabernet vines, all un-grafted and planted in 1928, and an abandoned winery. The vineyards and buildings were restored and production commenced, with the aim of making small quantities of the finest Malbec in the world. There are 31 hectares of vines in total: five of Cabernet, one of Petit Verdot and the remainder of Malbec, producing just 7,000 cases of wine each vintage. The wide critical acclaim the wines have achieved in the US means that nearly half of the production is exported there. Winemaking is traditional, with the wines aged for 14-16 months in French oak and bottled unfiltered.