Young Winemaker of the Year
- 93 pts Tim Atkin93 pts Tim Atkin
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2014 Riccitelli The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree Malbec 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Like Father, Like Son in Masterful Mendoza Malbec
Like Father, Like Son in Masterful Mendoza Malbec
Ask any winemaker in Argentina who they most admire — who they are envious of — and who they know is the new guard of premium Argentina wine, and you will hear the same name over and over: Matías Riccitelli. Tim Atkin MW named Matias his Young Winemaker of the Year in 2016. Clearly the apple has not fallen too far from the tree. His father Jorge Riccitelli is one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world and was the first winemaker from Latin America to be named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. When Matías collaborates with his father, they achieve greatness — like their 2014 Cabernet Franc that earned 97 points from James Suckling. This serious and compelling 2014 Malbec has already earned 93 points from Atkin, who described it as "brimming with perfume and fruit flavours."
Growing up in the vineyards of Mendoza, Matías Riccitelli’s after-school program consisted of barrel-tasting and blending sessions with his Dad while his friends played soccer. Jorge Riccitelli has been the winemaker for Bodega Norton since 1992, and graced the cover of Wine Enthusiast in 2012. Matías took what he learned at his father’s side and founded what is now one of the most renowned boutique wineries in all of Argentina.
If you visit Riccitelli Wines in Luján de Cuyo, a premium sub-region of Mendoza, you’ll have to find the winery first, and that’s not easy. Surrounded by castle-like wineries founded with international investors, the authenticity of the relatively simple Riccitelli winery shines through. It was built to make great wine, not to entertain flocks of tourists.
Matías chooses the coolest-climate vineyard locations in Argentina for his wines, those that can express the country’s abundant sunshine while retaining freshness on the palate. He takes no shortcuts, and a human touch is involved at each step of his winemaking. Many wines can boast of hand-picked grapes; not many can say they were literally crushed by hand, but Matías’s premium Malbecs can and are.
This wine shows the Malbec in its most elemental and most exuberant form. A hand-crafted wine from a winemaker who learned from the best but has found his own voice. It is only a matter of time before Matías graces magazine covers himself. He is one of the most exciting and respected young winemakers not just in South America, but in the world. This wine will sell out. Catch him while you can.