Mendoza producer with old ungrafted vines, a Patagonia project begun in 2015, and clay-amphora Kung Fu Criolla.
The producer
Riccitelli Wines was established in 2009. The winery works from Las Compuertas, while its holdings reach Gualtallary, Los Chacayes and San Pablo, and a Patagonia project farms 17 hectares planted in the 1950s. Kung Fu Criolla comes from old pergola-trained vineyards at 1,100 metres and uses indigenous-yeast fermentation in small clay amphorae, followed by eight months in clay amphorae.
Known for
Clay-amphora Criolla and old vines
Notable facts
Riccitelli Patagonia began beside the Río Negro in 2015.
The Viñas Extremas vineyards are all situated above 1,500 metres.
Kung Fu PetNat Rosé 2022 combines Pinot Noir and Malbec, with strawberry, cherry, raspberry, blood grapefruit, light bread and straw flavors.
The story
Riccitelli Goes South
In 2015, Matías Riccitelli and his team brought Riccitelli Patagonia to life along the banks of the Río Negro. The project farms 17 hectares planted in the 1950s. Its stated aim was to revitalize forgotten grape varieties and old vineyards that withstand the test of time. The Patagonia work sits alongside the Mendoza winery in Las Compuertas, where Riccitelli has 20 hectares of old, ungrafted vines and Malbec takes center stage. All fruit is hand-picked and fermented with exclusively indigenous yeasts.
From the atlas
Riccitelli Wines
A Mendoza producer established in 2009, with old ungrafted vines in Las Compuertas, a Patagonia project beside the Río Negro, and Kung Fu wines including Criolla and PetNat Rosé.
At A Glance
Region
Argentina, Mendoza
Base
Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo
Established
2009
Range size
As many as 25 wines in Mendoza; a few more in Patagonia
Farming
Sustainable
Cellar
Hand-picked fruit; indigenous-yeast fermentation
The Producer
Matías Riccitelli was born in Cafayate, Salta, a village in northern Argentina. Before founding Riccitelli Wines, he travelled through multiple international harvests and combined that experience with the teachings of his mentor and father, Jorge Riccitelli. Riccitelli Wines was established in 2009.
The Mendoza winery makes as many as 25 wines, with a few more made in Patagonia. All fruit is harvested by hand. Fermentation uses exclusively indigenous yeasts, and the farming practice is sustainable.
Place
Riccitelli's winery is in Las Compuertas, within Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. The producer has 20 hectares of old, ungrafted vines there, with Malbec as the principal variety. In the Monasterio area of Gualtallary, another 20 hectares are cultivated through mountain viticulture, with unique soils and exposures.
Additional holdings include eight hectares in Los Chacayes IG and ten hectares in San Pablo IG. The Viñas Extremas line reflects vineyards all situated above 1,500 metres. In Patagonia, the project farms 17 hectares planted in the 1950s along the banks of the Río Negro.
Wines
Kung Fu Malbec 2024 is a Mendoza red. Kung Fu Criolla 2022 is a Mendoza red from old pergola-trained vineyards in the Los Chacayes IG at 1,100 metres. It ferments in small clay amphorae with indigenous yeasts, using equal portions of whole bunches and destemmed grapes. Extraction is minimal, and the wine continues in clay amphorae for eight months.
Kung Fu PetNat Rosé 2022 is a sparkling rosé made from Pinot Noir and Malbec. Its flavors include strawberry, cherry, raspberry, blood grapefruit, light bread and straw. The three bottles cover Malbec, Criolla, and a Pinot Noir-Malbec rosé made in a sparkling style.
Final Word
Riccitelli pairs sustainable Mendoza farming with a 2015 Patagonia project beside the Río Negro and old plantings from the 1950s.