Alto de la Ballena planted its first vines in 2001 on the slopes of the Sierra de la Ballena, and in doing so more or less invented the idea that Maldonado could grow serious wine. The altitude and the sea air do something to the fruit that the flat country around Montevideo does not, and the rest of the department has followed them up the hill since.
It is a small operation and the visit reflects that: vineyard, cellar, a tasting with somebody who knows the answer to whatever you ask. Their tannat and their viognier are the ones to try, and the view down the sierra is worth the drive by itself.
Twenty minutes inland from Punta del Este on Ruta 12. Book by WhatsApp before setting off.