MABELLINI

Where the Limay and Neuquén rivers meet, in the heart of Patagonia, the Mabellini family honours a story that began in 1928 with Don Pedro Mabellini, an immigrant from Brescia, Italy. Today Carlos Mabellini and Lorena Nicolás Creide run 25 hectares of their own across the Confluencia and Mainqué estates, combining hand harvesting, respect for the vine's natural cycle and cutting-edge technology.

It all began in 1928, when Don Pedro Mabellini arrived from Brescia, Italy, and settled in this corner of Patagonia where the Limay and Neuquén rivers meet, right on the 38th parallel south. Almost a hundred years later, his descendants Carlos Mabellini and Lorena Nicolás Creide still uphold that family tradition in an area that now lives alongside urban growth. The winery farms 25 hectares across two very different estates: Confluencia, in Neuquén, with sandy loam soils and young vines planted in 2018 (Malbec, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc), which give fresh, fruity wines; and Mainqué, in Río Negro, with 20 hectares of vineyards over 70 years old, some planted before the 1931 national census, on clay soils that bring concentration and balance. This is also the birthplace of the "112 Hileras" project, which revives almost-forgotten historic varieties such as Balsamina, alongside Trousseau, Bonarda, Criolla Grande and other grapes that are finding their voice again, with technical support from the Universidad Nacional del Comahue.

The winery has a capacity of 180,000 litres and works with selected yeasts, temperature-controlled steel tanks, concrete eggs, and French oak barrels and foudres, always seeking to preserve the varietal identity and origin of each grape. Winemaking is led by resident winemaker Valeria López, together with consultant winemaker Daniel Pi, with a projected production of 100,000 bottles a year. Irrigation uses pure Andean snowmelt, and harvesting is done by hand in 13-kilo crates, with rows of poplars protecting the vines from the Patagonian winds. That meticulous work is already reflected in international recognition: scores of up to 98 points, gold medals at Vinus, distinctions from Tim Atkin MW in his special report on Argentina, and a nomination for Best New Winery at the WineXplorers Awards 2026.