Matias Riccitelli 'Old Vines From Patagonia', Rio Negro, Trousseau 2018
Made from 100% Trousseau this pale, light-bodied wine offers wild red-berried fruits and mineral notes complemented by spicy, floral hues. Refreshing and silky with a long finish.
Producer Note - Matias Riccitelli is the son of renowned winemaker Jorge Riccitelli. Having worked at some of the most prestigious wineries in Argentina and several vintages around the world, Matias used his experience, knowledge and passion and set up his own winery in 2009. His vineyards cover 50 hectares located in three selected sites within the premium growing region of Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. This is a young and dynamic project in which Matias is seeking to express the full potential of Argentine terroir.
Vintage - The 2018 growing season was warm and dry. The temperatures rose during the summer but the cooler temperatures in the evenings refreshed the vines and encouraged a long maturation which resulted in fruit with concentrated varietal fruit flavours with balancing freshness. Vineyard The Trousseau grapes come from the traditional vine growing sites of Allen and Ing Heuergo in the province of Rio Negro, Patagonia, approximately half way between the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Situated on the 39° latitude south, the sunlight exposure is more intense than northern areas, but at this latitude the nights are much colder. This daily diurnal temperature range is excellent for the production of quality grapes; the nightly cooling-off extends the ripening period, allowing the grapes to develop rich varietal characteristics while retaining balancing acidity. The low-yielding vines were planted at the beginning of the 1970s and they are ungrafted allowing for complete interaction between the silty soils and the vine. The vines are cultivated naturally following organic principles resulting in wines that are expressive of the terroir and their varietal characteristics. The grapes are handharvested once they have reached optimal maturity. The long-forgotten variety of Trousseau is a dark skinned variety that originated in the Jura, France and is a synonym for Bastardo.
Winemaking - The grapes were carefully sorted and selected. The fruit, of which 30% was kept as whole-bunches, was fermented in small French oak vats with indigenous yeasts at temperatures of 26 to 28°C. The wine was aged for a further eight months in French oak before being bottled without being fined or filtered.
Tasting Note - Made from 100% Trousseau this elegant wine offers aromatic complexity with wild red-berried fruits and mineral notes complemented by spicy, floral hues. Refreshing and silky, this is light but with good structure and a long finish.
Grape Trousseau 100%
Winemaker: Matias Riccitelli
Region: Patagonia
Sub region: Rio Negro
Country: Argentina
Alcohol: 12%
BodyValue: B (A is light, E is full bodied)
Residual Sugar: 1.8
Contains Sulphites: Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes/Yes
Milk/Eggs: No/No
Organic/Biodynamic No/No
