Hello Explorers,
I remember the first time Will and I tasted Finca El Monte in 2023. We were visiting Matías Etchart at his Calchaquí Valley winery for dinner. We started with empanadas, baked in the wood-fired oven, as we always do. Then came pollo al disco—chicken slow-cooked in a deep iron pan over an open flame, rich with spices and smoke. And finally, the wine.
One sip, and Will and I looked at each other: “This is it.” No second-guessing. Just knowing. That instant feeling when something stands out.
You know Matías’s Amar y Vivir wines; we’ve opened the malbec and the cabernet sauvignon together.
His latest, Finca El Monte, comes from a tiny plot—one hectare, about 2.5 acres—up in Salta’s wild hills. A small batch, and he invited us to be part of this story.
Arca Yaco winery and Matías Etchart’s house with Finca El Monte vines far in the mountains
It was a wild card. But we had that gut sense—this was good.
He split it with us: half for you and me, half for him, his private clients, and some top Buenos Aires spots. We’re releasing the 2020 vintage for you now—we’ve waited till it’s ready to drink, really ready.
Taste it—blackberry, a hint of plum, those rugged mountain herbs. It’s quiet but bold, like the land it came from. It’s harmonious.
This wine has something I’ve started to call SIP—Simple Impact Pour.
- Simple: No fuss, no clutter—just an easy, confident choice.
- Impact: A wine that delivers, hits the spot, and feels like it was worth it.
- Pour: Because great wine should feel effortless—something you reach for without hesitation.
Tim Atkin never even got the chance to try the 2020 vintage—that’s how scarce it was. We bought it before the critics could even get a sip. But Patricio Tapia did, and he gave it 95 points. Meanwhile, Tim Atkin rated the 2022 vintage at 96 points—reinforcing just how special this wine is.
Tim Atkin puts it best:
“Time may prove me wrong, but I think that these wineries will help to define the Argentinian wine scene over the next quarter of a century.”
In Buenos Aires, restaurants are listing it for over $350. Some are stashing it to age longer. We saw the shot 2 years ago, and took it for you.
Matías knew what he had. We felt it too, that first sip. You don’t get that instinct without chasing good things for a while.
You’re here because you love this adventure—not just to mark something off a list, but to find what clicks. This one does. Call us a bit mad for betting big, but it paid off.
Grab one before it’s gone. Before those clients and restaurants take it all. Take it home, pop it, or bring it to dinner—pay the corkage and watch the next table turn their heads.
It’s worth it. Trust me—I wouldn’t steer you wrong.
Cheers,
Diego
