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2022 Michelini i Muffato, Bierzo "La Petra"
What happens when two visionary Argentine winemakers trade the Andes for the rugged hillsides of Northwest Spain? They discover forgotten, 80-year-old Mencía vines clinging to steep slate and quartz soils at 680 meters elevation in Bierzo’s village of San Lorenzo. Drawn by this pristine terroir, Andrea Mufatto and Gerardo Michelini brought their low-intervention philosophy to Europe, creating Michelini i Mufatto's "La Petra"—a single-site debut that redefines Spanish red wine by replacing heavy extraction with electric minerality and pure vinous energy.
In the glass, "La Petra" shatters the mold of oak-heavy tintos. It opens with a vibrant perfume of violets, wild herbs, grapefruit peel, and crushed berries. On the palate, a sleek, fine-grained texture carries an austere, rocky stoniness and bright acidity. There is an ethereal lift to the wine, yet it leaves a deep impression of dark fruit, fine tannins, and a long, saline-mineral finish—drinking with the grace of Premier Cru Burgundy and the spice of Northern Rhône Syrah.
If your idea of Spanish red is limited to oaky Rioja and heavy Tempranillo, this bottle is an absolute revelation. Finding 80-year-old vines on rare slate and quartz—crafted by world-class winemakers and earning dual 95-Point reviews from Wine Advocate and Vinous Media—at this price point is unheard of. It oozes with tension, depth, and sense of place. Do not miss one of the most exciting single-vineyard debuts in Spain.
¡Viva España!
Critical Acclaim:
95+ Points, Wine Advocate:
"The 2022 La Petra is a new single-vineyard wine that comes from two adjacent plots but is still not qualified as single-vineyard wine and instead is sold as generic Bierzo (but will be sold as "paraje" in future vintages). It's from a place on slate and quartz soils in the village of San Lorenzo that is planted with 80-year-old vines on the south-facing side of La Encrucijada. It fermented with 50% full clusters and 50% destemmed grapes in 1,000-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used 225-liter French oak barrels for one year. It's floral and perfumed but with an austere stoniness and a rocky sensation in the palate, with a fine thread, textured, with fine tannins. It has 13% alcohol and is balanced and clean. It has more freshness and less sensation of ripeness as it's higher in altitude (some 680 meters) even if it has a south-facing exposition. This is delicious, complex and elegant. A great debut!" - Luis Gutiérrez, June 2024
"The 2022 La Petra Mencía hails from Paraje La Petra, San Lorenzo del Bierzo. Light purple in hue, it is delicately made, evoking grapefruit peel, rosemary and wild herb aromas. It's balsamic, with hints of chamomile, carqueja, violet and slight reduction. Dry, compact and juicy, it has a sleek, fine-grained texture. The 2022 is smooth, airy and ethereal."
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