Download Complete Production Notes

Since its debut vintage ten years ago, Bodegas Salentein has forged an enviable reputation worldwide for producing award-winning, premium quality wines. The estate’s winemaking team, led by the near-legendary José Galante, is one of the most revered in Argentina. Together, they strive to combine artistry, creativity and passion to craft wines that capture the finest terroirs of the Uco Valley in the famed Mendoza region.

Killka is the latest creation from this very progressive winery and is produced using grapes cultivated on Salentein’s high-altitude vineyards in the Andes. It is named in honor the Killka Gallery, the estate’s world-renowned and award-winning center for the arts, culture and gastronomy that receives 20,000 visitors a year. One of the paintings from the gallery’s permanent collection, El Sillon Azul, or The Blue Chair, by Argentinean artist Alonso Carlos (1929), is featured on the label. Killka is produced just steps away from the Gallery in a uniquely cross-shape structure, which like all the buildings on this near 5000-acre private estate, was built by regional craftsmen, using local materials and incorporating indigenous architectural features.

Production Area
Salentein’s high-elevation vineyards are located at between 3,445 and 3,773 feet above sea level. The stony, alluvial soils here enjoy excellent drainage. The weather conditions are also ideal, with few extreme variations in temperature. Vines (double-trellis) have adequate exposure to the sunlight, resulting in perfect ripening of sugars and polyphenols, while efficent drip irrigation produces optimum foliage development. Yields are kept low with canopy management.

Grape Varieties
100% Malbec

Vinification
Grapes are hand-harvested from select plots. 15 days of cold maceration is followed by 7 - 10 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts and then 5 days of post-fermentation maceration. The lots are blended and 20% is aged in French oak for 4 - 5 months. The finished wine is bottled 6 months prior to release.

Color
Ruby red with tints of violet

Bouquet
Rich in fruit, reminiscent of plum, black fruits, blackberries and violets.

Taste
Great structure and well-balanced acidity. The tannins feel soft and pleasant, with marked roundness and a strong fruity finish.

Alcohol
14.5%

Serving Suggestions
An ideal match for roasted and grilled meats, charcuterie, duck and pâtés