Pedernal Valley is located southwest of the province, 90 km from the City of San Juan. The arable high lands of the valley go from 1,250 to 1,500 m.a.s.l. The valley is protected by a natural barrier, the Pedernal hill. It is a confined valley isolated from natural pests and far from civilization, which creates unique conditions.
Since 2007, Pedernal Valley has been a Wine Geographical Indication (G. I.), a unique and different place where Argentinean world-class wines are created.
The weather is continental and cold, with a wide temperature range (from 18 to 20°C) and average maximum temperatures are under 28°C. This condition makes grapes develop thicker skins, higher concentration and balance between sugars, polyphenols and acids.
This results in wines with more intense color, with greater expression of aromas and flavors, very good tannin structure and marked natural acidity, making them more expressive with greater aging potential.
The soils at the east area of the Valley where the Pyros Vineyards are located are calcareous and from geological origin, originated over 480 million years ago at a marine sedimentary environment with a carbonate platform. They have a loamy-sandy texture with a content of different percentages of limestone, dolomia, together with other silicon dioxide rocks such as Pedernal. This combination has contributed to excellent water infiltration and retention.
Only 7% of the soils of the earth´s surface are calcareous and from a geological origin. Pedernal Valley is the only soil with these characteristics within the wine-making sector in Argentina. Besides, its height and weather conditions create a terroir with calcareous soils, which is unique in the world.
These soils are highly valued as they help produce high quality wines with a unique and different tannin texture.
In the center and in the west of the valley there are calcareous materials mixed with rocks of different mineralogical composition from the Andes mountain range, giving as a result different soils with outstanding features.
It comes from underground aquifers that are nourished by rain and the snowmelt from the high peaks of the Andes mountain range.