Exclusive: 2023 El Montanista 'Corte de Tintas

Exclusive: 2023 El Montanista 'Corte de Tintas
As you've already noticed, the focus at Monarch lies heavily on the Old World, especially France and Italy. These countries are at the genesis of my wine carrier and are the foundation of my knowledge. My palate is rooted in their subtleties and elegance, as they were the first wines I tasted when I was a lowly 'cellar rat' at Balthazar and then Assistant Wine Director at Morandi.   

Over the past eight years, Monarch has carried a grand total of two, maybe three wines from Argentina. Not because I refuse to taste them, but because I find most to be overtly ripe, awash in oak, and sweetly-fruited with no connection to their respective terroir.

Today's wine is the polar opposite of those usual styles. It's a breath of fresh air and unlike anything I've tasted outside of Europe. A kitchen-sink blend of old Piedmontese varieties brought over by Italian immigrants centuries ago. The grapes are grown 1500 meters above sea level at the foot of the Andes in the northern tip of Mendoza, where cool temperatures temper the syrupy, over-ripeness that plague so many Argentinian reds. The results are profound, unique and utterly delicious. This is a New World red wine with European soul.   

I'm proud to offer the only bottles of 2023 El Montañista 'Viejas Tintas' in South Carolina.
BUY NOW
An all Italian blend of Barbera, Bonarda, Greco Nero,
Rabosso Veronese, Cardin, and Freisa. From 80 year old vines planted on quartz-rich soils deposited from the mountains above. The grapes are hand-harvested and ferment whole-cluster in concrete. The wine is then pressed and racked into concrete tanks where it rests for seven months before bottling.     

A vivid and bold wine on the nose, it opens with a slew of punchy, dark berry fruit: cassis, blackberry and plum are complemented by baking spice, rosemary and a touch of bitter-sweet cocoa powder. It's the palate's vibrancy and energy that really sets this wine apart, where the concentrated, lush flavors are lifted and brightened by a streak of raspberry-tinged acidity and river-stone minerality. This wine re-writes the book on Argentinian viticulture.     
El Montañista is actually two people, young couple Francis​co (Pancho) Bugallo and Nuria Añó Gargiulo. They began their winemaking carriers right out of college, establishing their first label, Cara Sur. Ten years later they were presented with the opportunity to work and farm a historic, 80 year old, heritage vineyard at the foot of the Andes and El Montañista was born.

Pancho and Nuria farm organically, using sheep to mow between rows and fertilize soils. In the cellar, things are done simply and directly, with ambient yeast fermentations and aging in old concrete vessels. The results are remarkable, soulful and pure. These are game-changing wines. 
2023 El Montañista 'Viejas Tintas' - $34.99
 
*SPECIAL NEWSLETTER PRICE - $32.99
 
To order, reply directly to this email or call me at 843.576.4845
Justin Coleman
Proprietor
Monarch Wine Merchants
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Monarch Wine Merchants
1107 King St
Suite B
Charleston, Sc 29403

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