2022 Matias Riccitelli Viejos Vinedos en Pie Franco Malbec

Founded in 2009 in Las Compuertas, Mendoza, Matías Riccitelli produces site-focused wines from high-altitude, ungrafted old vineyards across Mendoza and Patagonia. Winemaking centers on low intervention, using native yeasts, concrete eggs, and neutral oak to highlight freshness, natural texture, and vineyard character over heavy oak or over-extraction. The portfolio spans nuanced single-vineyard Malbecs alongside revived heritage varieties like Criolla Chica, Torrontés, and old-vine Sémillon.

Crafted from unrooted vines planted as early as 1908 in Las Compuertas and Vistalba, this wine showcases the depth of historic, agroecologically managed vineyards. Native fermentation in concrete vats and 16 months in French oak deliver a nuanced, deeply structured Malbec.

Other Reviews...
Fresh blackberries, spiced dark fruit, oranges, hazelnut chocolate and a touch of waffles. More of a classic style but so expressive and well made, with superfine tannins and a very long finish. Drink or hold.
96 points
Zekun Shuai - JamesSuckling.com