Matias Riccitelli & Father Mendoza Malbec Cabernet Franc 2019 (Argentina)

Description

Blackberry, Liquorice, Spice

Blend of a great aromatic intensity, black fruits, licorice, spices and flowers on the nose. The palate shows a remarkable balance with firm but also elegant tannins. A wine with personality that very well represents two generations of winemakers who love what they are doing.

This wine cames up from the gathered elaboration between Matías and his father Jorge Riccitelli, searching to empower the Malbec from ancient vineyards of the traditional areas, with the intensity that Cabernet Franc develops in our mountain soils.

80% is ungrafted Malbec planted in 1927 in Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo, on loam clay soils. It is blended with 20% of Cabernet Franc coming from mountain’s vineyard of Los Chacayes, Uco Valley, on boulder soils. In our vineyards, we do not use any herbicide any herbicide or systemic products, managing them an agro-ecological way.

Hand harvested in small 20 kg cases, in order to keep the integrity of each cluster. A meticulous selection is handly made prior vinification. We vinify a 20% with whole cluster and the rest is destemmed. The grapes head up in a natural way by gravity in small French oak vats, where the fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts at temperatures between 26° and 28°C. Then we make a very gentle work to sink the hat and achieve a slow extraction. The aging continues in oak foudres for 16 months.