Winemaker Notes
This 100% Carbonic Macerated Bonarada was harvested separately at 4 different times and then blended together. A seductively perfumed nose evokes musky dank fruits of blueberry, cherry, and raspberry. The vibrant, fruit dominated nose, leads to a soft and round mid palate, held together by firm tannins and bright acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Part of the almost-experimental wines, the 2019 Via Revolucionaria Bonarda Pura was fermented with 50% carbonic maceration and the rest in concrete egg. The grapes come from a parral planted in the 1970s in Campo Vidal (Tupungato). It has an unusual roasted nose, with toasted/smoky notes, despite the fact that the wine sees zero oak. Matías Michelini reckons it must be compounds coming from the stems. There is less character from the carbonic maceration, and the wine feels more serious, with notes of black fruit and an earthy twist. It has more complexity in the palate, with more structure and grip, with moderate alcohol, and as is the case with most wines at this address, it has an electric sensation in the palate, a kind of effervescence (but no gas) from the lively acidity.
Bonarda is a name given to a handful of distinct grape varieties, mainly growing in Italy and in Argentina. In Lombardy’s Oltrepò Pavese and Emilia Romagna’s Colli Piacentini zones, the grape called Bonarda is actually Croatina. In Novara, Bonarda Novarese, often blended with Spanna (Nebbiolo), is actually Uva Rara. DNA profiling shows that most of the Bonarda in Argentina is actually identical to California’s Charbono—and Charbono is actually the Douce Noire grape from Savoie. Somm Secret—Bonarda Piemontese, an aromatic variety, is the only true Bonarda. Before phylloxera, it covered 30% of Piedmontese vineyard acreage.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.