Malbec “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree” 2021 – Matias Riccitelli

The Malbec The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree Matias Riccitelli’s grapes are hand-picked from Matias Riccitelli’s vineyards. Half the grapes come from the Perdriel vineyard at 950 metres above sea-level in the subregion of Lujan de Cuyo. Located at the banks of the Mendoza River, the rocky soil delivers a rich wine, with ripe fruit and smooth tannins. The other half comes from Gualtallary, which is situated at 1,400 metres altitude in the northern part of the Uco Valley. The vines here deliver fresh, spicy Malbec from calcareous soils. A green harvest is performed in December to concentrate the flavours in the berries. Both vineyards are influenced by diurnal temperature changes which encourages a long hang time, promoting concentrated flavours in the berries while retaining balancing acidity. The harvest takes place manually in 20-kilo trays in order to protect the quality of the grapes.

The grapes were manually picked at optimum maturity levels and then meticulously sorted by hand in order to only vinify the best grapes. Fermentation took place at controlled temperatures of 26°C in small concrete tanks, with four daily pump overs and a long maceration period of 30 days. 100% of the wine was matured in seasoned French oak barrels for 12 months.

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.