Wine Of The Week: Riccitelli’s ‘This Is Not Another Lovely Malbec’

Energetic, fruit-driven Malbec from a lush Argentinian valley.

It would have been easy for winemaker Matias Riccitelli to follow in his father’s footsteps. Instead he packed his back and set out to travel the world, cutting his teeth at vineyards around the world. Eventually, home called him back.

Now, he’s dedicated to Mendoza, Argentina. Picture this: vineyards as far as the eye can see, crowned by snow-capped mountains on the horizon, all within a short drive of the city. Riccitelli is flexing the region’s terroir through deeply rich Torrontes, Malbec, Bonarda, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The Malbec is energetic, pure, and fruit-driven; a more vivacious of a Malbec compared to the more sinewy, chocolate-y Malbecs found around the world. It’s pure and fruit-driven, with rich plum and lovely length of the fruit. Floral on the nose, with rich plum and lively raspberry with silky tannins that balance out the juicy fruit. $32

Kate Dingwall is a WSET-trained sommelier and seasoned spirits writer. Her work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and others, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.