Bodega Benegas Estate Cabernet Franc
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Grapes are sourced from estate vineyard Finca Libertad, Mendoza Upper River Bank (850 meters above sea level).
- Mixture of young vineyards descended from the ancient vineyards planted by Tiburcio Benegas in 1888.
- Tiburcio planted in Finca Libertad ungrafted vines he purchased in France. Its genetic makeup is the same as the great French Chateaux of the 19th century. These are not clones developed to produce higher volume wines nor resistant to some diseases.
- Michel Rolland says that Finca Libertad’s Cabernet Franc is unique in the world as it has the characteristics of the Cabernet Franc from the 19th century Bordeaux.
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Franc
Elaboration: Pre-fermentation cold maceration. Fermentation in tank at 25°C (77°F). Post fermentation maceration for two weeks. Racking and natural malolactic fermentation. Aged for 8 to 10 months in French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Ruby red color with brownish edges. Herbaceous on the nose, with fresh and complex aromas of red fruits such as currants, raspberries and plums. Elegant at the entrance; meaty in the mid palate with friendly ripe and round tannins. Long and silky finish.
PRESS
2018 – 92 James Suckling
2019 – 92 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Finca Libertad is planted in an old riverbed, located on the edge of the Alto Río Mendoza, in the Cruz de Piedra area. It was planted with vine cuttings brought by Don Tiburcio from France in the 19th century. Three-meter-high walls were built to avoid the floods caused by the melted snow water flowing down from the Andes mountains during the summer season.
In 1999, Federico Benegas Lynch purchased what Ángel Mendoza, Trapiche’s Head Winemaker, considered to be the best 40 hectares of the old Finca Libertad.
The Finca Libertad is an old riverbed, with alluvial, stony soils, with some sand and superficial layers of clay. As vines suffer great stress in these poor soils, it produces low yields with excellent quality fruit resulting in superb wines. Despite fertilizing with organic guano, the yields are extremely low because of the vines’ old age.