Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesA bright gold color and waxy aromas of apricot and citrus peel form the nose of this Sémillon from Matías Michelini that spent three months in concrete eggs. It shows plumpness on the palate, with flavors of yellow apple and peach backed by a mild bitterness.
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Passionate Wines is the brainchild of Matias Michelini. He is the winemaker, agronomist, and Grand Poobah of his winery named Passionate Wines. Matias strives to make experimental wines that express terroir. These wines are low production and are drawn from multiple inspirations, regions, and styles. The Via Revolucionaria wines are single vineyard, unconventional wines, fermented with native yeast. He produces a skin macerated Torrontes “Brutal”, an unfiltered Semillon “Hulk”, and a carbonic macerated and fermented Bonarda “Pura”. The Montesco wines are small production wines that focus on place and varietals. Matias continues to experiment with other cuvees with the mantra of producing either atypical varietals or classic varietals in non-traditional methods.
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.
Sémillon has the power to create wines with considerable structure, depth and length that will improve for several decades. It is the perfect partner to the vivdly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon especially shines in the Bordeaux region of Sauternes, which produces some of the world’s greatest sweet wines. Somm Secret—Sémillon was so common in South Africa in the 1820s, covering 93% of the country’s vineyard area, it was simply referred to as Wyndruif, or “wine grape.”