Michelini i Mufatto (ES)

  • Bierzo, Spain
Michelini i Mufatto (ES)

The Michelini family is not short of terroirs to explore in their native Argentina, and brothers Gerardo, Matias, and Juan Pablo continue to amaze with the amount and quality of the projects they get involved with in South America. Zorzal, Gen del Alma, Passionate Wines are just some of the labels they are associated with, and that have helped change and shape the current viticultural landscape of their native country. Now the family has gone a step further and taken its craft and vision to Spain, where they have set a firm foot in Bierzo, as well as Rioja.

It was through their friendship with César Marqués that the Michelinis got to know Bierzo so well.  The Bierzo native Marques introduced them to some of the most prized vineyards in the area, and instigated the Argentinians to produce wines from there.

After having learned a thing or two from him about Mencia, Doña Blanca, Palomino and the local grapes from the area, the family went out on their own. They now have their own winery in Toral de Merayo, a two centuries-old building made of the stones that shape the mountainous landscape, and here they parked some old foudres, and even some amphorae made by the master of clay, Juan Padilla.

They farm their very old vines organically (soils in the region are mostly clay with slate and quartz) and the range of wines includes a village level with fruit from different plots, a couple of paraje (lieu-dit) wines, and prized crus such as Encinado, and Encrucijada.

Manu Michelini is the young winemaker, and he takes a traditional as well as an experimental approach: the reds are foot-stomped in the amphorae, sometimes with whole bunches, and they also ferment in clay. The aging is done in a mix of vessels, amphorae as well as used oak and chestnut barrels, and the wines see short macerations of less than 20 days, followed by aging in neutral French and American oak barrels.

Image Producer PRODUCT Description Country / Region

DB4918-22
Organic
WA:92
Michelini i Mufatto (ES) Motorpsico
2022
Mencia
Grapes from the A Merced vineyard, where 30% of the grapes are white. The wine is made using traditional methods from the village of Toral...
Spain

DB6844-22
Organic
WA:92+
Michelini i Mufatto (ES) En el Camino
2022
Mencia
Sourced from several parcels with vines that are at least 50 years old, the blend is 90% Mencia and 10% “other” including Palomino, Doña...
Spain

DB6842-21
Organic
WA:95
Michelini i Mufatto (ES) A Merced
2021
Mencia
100% Mencía sourced from the El Canto vineyard near the town of San Lorenzo. The soils here are slate and quartz with a northern exposure....
Spain

DB6845-21
Organic
WA:97
Michelini i Mufatto (ES) Encinado
2021
Mencia
Encinado is a new wine in the line-up. It comes from a single vineyard, planted around 70 years ago. which had been abandoned for many...
Spain

DB3869-21
Organic
WA:97
Michelini i Mufatto (ES) Encrucijada
2021
Mencia
From Alto de Valdecañada in Ponferrada. A blend of 90% Mencía 10% Palomino from 80-year-old goblet-pruned vineyards.  Grapes are foot-...
Spain

DB3870-21
Organic
WA:98
Michelini i Mufatto (ES) Post Crucifixion
2021
Mencia
50% Mencía, 10% Palomino, 20% Merenzao, 10% Brancellao, 10% Godello coming from a tiny .25 hectare a very old vineyard in the village of La...
Spain