Reviving a family tradition
Born in Peru and the grandson of a French oenologist, Edmond Borit inherited the passion for wine during his visits to the family vineyard in Ica (southern Peru).
After moving to Uruguay in 2008, Borit decided to revive the family viticultural tradition in Maldonado, the exciting wine region in east Uruguay, and began the quest for the ideal terroir. ‘I knew that the best terroirs in Uruguay were in Maldonado, specifically in the sierras (mountains).’ With this in mind, Borit explored the region until he found a virgin 100-hectare property on the Sierra de Carapé, near the exclusive resort town of Punta del Este.
‘Our goal is to offer an exclusive, welcoming experience nestled in this landscape,’ explains Borit. ‘We only use 15 hectares for the vineyard, restaurant and four luxury lodges with a minimalist design.’ The remaining 85 hectares have been left untouched apart from paths along which visitors can experience the beauty of the native Uruguayan forest.
Sacromonte’s concept combines terroir-driven viticulture, a sustainable lodging experience and high-end dining from Chef Tupambaé Camara, who honed his craft in Europe working in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Rising stars in the Uruguayan wine scene
Established between 2014 and 2017 on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Carapé, the Sacromonte vineyard, currently the highest in Uruguay at just over 300 metres above sea level, is planted to Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Marselan vines brought from France.
‘Our vineyard is planted on sedimentary layers of limestone, sand and shale formed 750 million years ago. Metamorphic development created vertical layers of mica schist which, together with the microclimate of the sierras, help to produce wines with a very special character,’ says Borit.
Since 2018, the grapes from this vineyard have been used by winemaker Juan Pablo Fitipaldo to make five different wines following a minimal intervention approach. They have improved with each vintage as seen in the results of the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards where the Sacromonte Tannat 2020 won a Gold Medal (95 points) and the Sacromonte Concrete Aged Tannat 2018 a Silver (94 points). A remarkable success for such a young project.
Sacromonte made its award debut in 2020, when the very first vintage of Carapé 2018, the winery’s flagship label, won an impressive Gold Medal (96 points) establishing what has now become an icon on the Uruguayan wine scene.
‘Carapé 2018 was a co-fermented blend of Tannat, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 19 months in oak, which came to be because at the time we simply didn’t have the capacity to ferment them separately. Even though it was a product of circumstance, the wine surprised us and we knew that it was the right one to represent us at the DWWA. We weren’t wrong: Carapé, now a co-fermented blend of all six of the winery’s varieties, is the complete and ultimate expression of the Sacromonte terroir.’
