Highlights : Bodega y Viñedos Nicolas Catena La Marchigiana Criolla Vino Natural Ancestral 2019, Mendoza, Argentina
La Marchigiana is Catina’s respectful look to the past, fermenting indigenous Criolla in clay pots. Though the amphora here was brought over from Italy by Nicolas Catena, Chile has a long ancestry with clay pot wine aging dating back to the 16th century. The label is also historical, dating back to when Nicola (before he changed his name to Argentinian Nicolás) sold barrels of wine to Buenos Aires’ finest restaurants. This rosé of Criolla, from Finca La Vendimia, spent 250+ days on skins in the pots before bottling, sulphite free. Light/moderate crimson-hued, this presents more a lighter red than the rosé label states. Pomegranate, raspberry, wild herbal thorns, and fragrant dried wildflowers are lifted and buoyant on the slight palate, kissed with ample fine mineral salts and wrung with whisper fine tannins across a saline finish. Very distinct and quite charming, ideally with a light chill. 92/100
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