(Decanter) One day he’s tasting Malbec berries from Mendoza’s highest vineyard, the next he’s armed with a spade shovelling skins out of a stainless steel tank, naked from the waist up to cope with Mendoza’s intense summer heat. ‘I always lose weight during harvest,’ says Alejandro Sejanovich. ‘The vintage diet is the best!’

Sejanovich is co-owner, with Jeff Mausbach, of Manos Negras, and the Maipú-based winery’s name reflects the pair’s philosophy towards winemaking: getting down and dirty with a fearless, hands-on approach. And that’s not just in the cellar. Sejanovich’s passion for innovation has led him to scour Argentina in a quest to conquer challenging terroir and express viticulturally unexploited regions.

His stellar portfolio includes Manos Negras, Artesano Pinot Noir sourced from Río Negro – at 218m above sea level and 39° latitude – in Patagonia; Tigerstone Garnacha from the Calchaquí Valley (at 1,700m); and a field blend (for the time being) from Quebrada de Humahuaca GI – at 2,710m and 46° latitude – near the Bolivian border.

For the rest of this please visit Decanter or buy the October 2019 edition.