Cabernet Franc
Vegan-Friendly
Dry
Residual Sugar: 2 g/l
Medium Bodied
750ml
13% alc./vol

Matías Riccitelli Viñedos de Montaña Cabernet Franc 2018

Mendoza, Argentina

94 Points - Wine Advocate
94 Points - WineAlign

$44.95per bottle ($269.70per case)
6 bottles per case

Spicy & Herbal

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Matías Riccitelli was born in Cafayete, Salta. He identifies as a traveler and a tireless dreamer. After countless harvests throughout the world, he decided to combine everything he has learned and dedicate himself to exploring the excellent terroirs of Mendoza and the teachings of his mentor and father, Jorge Riccitelli.

This wine is made from two different vineyards located at the foot of the Andes Mountains. 50% from Los Arbolitos Estate, planted on sandy soil and 50% from Dio Estate, planted in gravel and boulder soils. Clusters are destemmed and then they are dropped into small concrete vats. They ferment with wild yeast for several weeks. Aging continues in French oak barrels for more than a year.

Immediately recognizable on the nose for its classic bell pepper and dried herb aromas, this wine is a true varietal expression of classic Cabernet Franc. Along with the savoury components on the nose you'll find ripe black fruits and subtle shades of violets and spices. The palate packs a punch with ripe fruits, fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins, all adding pleasing texture and depth to this wine.

Cab Franc loves herbs, so try this wine out with some of your favourite flavours like parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme! A great match with vegetarian dishes and herb-spiced meats.

About the Winery

Matías Riccitelli

Matías Riccitelli was born in Cafayete, Salta. He identifies as a traveler and a tireless dreamer. After countless harvests throughout the world, he decided to combine everything he has learned and dedicate himself to exploring the excellent terroirs of Mendoza and the teachings of his mentor, and father, Jorge Riccitelli.

Matías started his boutique winery in 2009, located in Las Compuertas at 1100 meters above sea level. It is the highest area of Lujan de Cuyo, and here he tends 20 hectares of ungrafted old vineyards. Matías also works with small, independent growers that own their lands at the bottom of the Andes halfway between 1000 and 1700 meters above sea level - in Gualtallary, Chacayes, Altamira and La Carrera.

All harvests are conducted by hand and fermentation takes place in small concrete vats and concrete eggs. Purity and delicacy in winemaking are prized by Matías and great care is taken in preserving the fruit’s singularity in order to obtain vibrant wines.

Press Reviews

Wine Advocate

94 Points - Luis Gutiérrez

The intensely spicy and peppery 2018 Viñedos de Montaña Cabernet Franc is an aromatic expression of the grape, where I also found floral nuances and some herbs. The flavors were pungent and penetrating, with good depth and small-grained tannins. It was produced with grapes from two different vineyards, one in Los Arbolitos in Chacayes at 1,150 meters above sea level and the other one in Campo de los Andes at some 1,300 meters in altitude. I loved the nose, and the palate was nothing short of phenomenal also, nicely textured and with serious tannins, spicy and herbal, and with a dry, austere finish.

WineAlign

94 Points - Sara d'Amato

This modern and lightly reductive style of cabernet franc is notably well-fruited with length for days. Not wholly characteristic of this variety, one might guess a syrah in a blind tasting but there is some serious attention to detail here in terms of winemaking and it is sourced from notably high-quality fruit on various soil types in the high-elevation Los Chacayes region of the Valle de Uco. The deeply inky-coloured wine offers great depth of flavour, and notes of black pepper, violet, black currant and blackberry, with graphite and very gentle oak spice. Quite youthful with mildly grippy tannins. Well-balanced alcohol. Great length. Best 2023-2030. Tasted November 2022.