Cabernet Franc “Vineyard Selection” 2018 – Matias Riccitelli

The Cabernet Franc Vineyard Selection Matias Riccitelli is a blend of three different terroirs each imparting their own characteristics on the resulting wine. 50% of the grapes come from Agrelo in Luján de Cuyo 15 year old vines. Situated at 1,000 metres the diurnal temperature variation is the star feature of the Agrelo terroir, extending the ripening period which balances the crisp acidity and produces complex flavours in the grapes. 25% from Altamira in the Valle de Uco where the vines are eight years old and 25% from Vistaflores in the Valle de Uco where the vines are eight years old. The vineyard is carefully managed throughout the year, with deleafing and green harvesting being performed in January. Harvesting takes place during the latter part of April and is manually picked into small trays of 20 kilograms. Following a meticulous double sorting, the clusters were destemmed and vinified in small concrete vats. Fermentation took place naturally, without any additions at controlled temperatures of 20°C. Pump-overs took place to ensure the desired level of extraction and 28 days of skin contact maceration imparted wonderful structure to the wine. 100% of the wine was aged in French oak barrels of first, second and third use.