Bodega Benegas ‘Single Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon
WHY WE LOVE IT
- This Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from the finest grapes, carefully sourced from select plots with low yields per hectare.
- The grapes are selected from the best plots of the Finca Libertad estate, located on the upper banks of the Mendoza River at an elevation of 850 meters above sea level, in Cruz de Piedra, Maipú, Mendoza.
- This wine is a blend of young vines that are descended from the old vineyards planted in 1935 by the Benegas family.
- Drink now or cellar up to 12 years.
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Elaboration: The production process begins with cold pre-fermentation maceration. This is followed by fermentation at a temperature of 25°C in tanks. After fermentation, post-fermentation maceration lasts for two weeks. Finally, the wine undergoes settling and natural malolactic fermentation.
Tasting Notes: The nose of the wine presents an enticing blend of aromas, including cherry, currants, plums, and chocolate, complemented by spicy notes and subtle hints of herbs. On the palate, you will find flavors of pine, cedar, graphite, chocolate, and black olives. These flavors will develop over time, leading to deeper aromas and a velvety texture. Overall, the wine is elegant and balanced, finishing with a long and lingering aftertaste.
PRESS
2019 – 94 James Suckling
2021 – 93 James Suckling | 90 Vinous
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.