2021 Montesco, ‘PieFranc’ Cabernet Franc, Uco Valley, Argentina

Producer: Matias Michelini, a revolutionary winemaker with a focus on the Uco Valley. His winery, named Passionate Wines, was founded in 2009 & his Montesco wines  are small production, high elevation wines that he makes from vineyards in Tupungato & Tunuyan. He is a pioneer of biodynamic farming  & brings a very fresh style to the area, wines that are lean & energetic, with high acid.

Place: from the San Pablo GI in the northwest corner of Tunuyan, San Pablo is, a sub-region of Mendoza in Argentina’s Uco Valley. There is a cool climate in this high elevation, vineyards are at 1, 500 meters of elevation, with  an abundance of rainfall, creating a thriving variety of aromatic herbs. It is one of the youngest GI in the country,  approved in 2019.

Farming: practicing organic & biodynamic

Varietal: Cabernet Franc from ungrafted vines

Soil: Alluvial, Calcareous stones – with the cool climate the stones act as a buffer leading to slower ripening.

Winemaking: long fermentation with native yeast, aged in concrete for 8 months