2022 Passionate Wines, ‘Del Mono’ Tinto, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Producer: A project by Matias Michelini, a radical winemaker making experimental wines from various inspirations & terroirs. He rented an old abandoned bodega & transformed it into a winemaking facility, hiring artists to paint the walls. A monkey was painted on the exterior walls & was thereafter referred to as ‘the Monkey’s place’ by  the locals.

Place: The winery is located in Tupungato, the grapes are from multiple vineyards in the Tupungato region of the Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina.

Cultivation: Sustainable practices

Varietal: 50% Syrah, 50% Malbec, village fruit from various growers in the area.

Bottling: ‘Del Mono’ meaning ‘from the monkey’

Soil: Sandy & Calcareous

Winemaking: Hand harvested, co-fermented with native yeast, aged in concrete egg for 6 months

Tasting Notes: Crunchy Berries – Cocoa – Dark Fruits – Peppery Spice