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Manos Negras, Argentina

Alejandro Sejanovich is arguably Argentina's most knowledgeable viticulturist, having worked as vineyard director for Bodega Catena Zapata for 16 years, he pioneered high-altitude vineyard planting and conducted groundbreaking research on Mendoza Malbec clones.

With Manos Negras he combines his love of minerality, and altitude with a magical touch in the winery to produce some of the region’s most terroir-driven wines. Not only altitude, but also latitude play a part in the wines from Manos Negras. With plantings of Torrontes in the northern stretches of Cadayate in Salta, Pinot Noir in the southernmost region of Neuquen in Patagonia, and old vine Malbec in the prized Altamira appellation in the Uco Valley, capturing the spirit of Manos Negras through a myriad of soils and ultimate wine expressions.

Viticulture

Alejandro joined Manos Negras in 2010 as one of Argentina’s most gifted viticulturists. Few people can explain the country’s different terroirs as well – and in three different languages. Following a year at the prestigious Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique in France, he went on to run the viticultural research and development side of Bodega Catena Zapata for 16 years. Sejanovich’s experience with Catena means that he knows Argentina’s vineyards intimately and is able to source the right material to express his distinctive range of styles. ‘Great vineyards are a winery’s most important asset,’ he says.

Winemaking

Wild yeast strains are used for fermentation, with the whites being produced with no malolactic fermentation or oak influence. The Reds are aged in old French oak, with a very small proportion of new oak. Both red and white undergo a cold maceration and cold fermentation.

Highlights
  • Wild yeast strains for fermentation.
  • No malolactic fermentation or oak influence for the whites, resulting in clean fresh wines.
  • The Triuno brand is 100% certified organic.
Tim Atkin MW names Alejandro, winemaker for Manos Negras as winemaker of the year. “There has also been a move towards more elegant, terroir-expressive wines in the last decade – a key figure of this movement includes Alejandro.”
Alejandro Sejanovich has been named Winemaker of the Year 2021
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