Cicchitti - Criollo Grande - Mendoza

2019

100% Criollo Grande

Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Cicchitti was started in 1983 by third-generation winemaker, Jose Antonio Cichitti, alongside his wife Silvia Marti. Today, the winery produces 400,000 bottles a year using natural winemaking methods including native yeast fermentation. This wine is made from 100% Criollo Grande, a lesser-known grape in the United States, despite being among Mendoza's most common. Criolla Grande is a close relative of Chile's Pais, and is the 4th most planted red grape in Argentina. Very pale in color, this wine has tangy herb and mountain brush flower aromas and a silky, textural red fruit palate of cherry skins. With tasting notes of strawberry, cranberry, currant, and spices, this red would pair well with poached fish dishes or a board with hard cheeses and spicy charcuterie.