What, you've never heard of Criolla?! Where have you been?! Truth is we're guessing hardly anyone has heard of Criolla. As a grape variety it's actually been in Argentina for quite a long time, origionally used as Holy Communion wine, this one comes from 50 year old vines and is an absolute revelation.
Production
Criolla was introduced to South America by the Spanish conquistadors who brought the variety over from its native home, the Canary Islands. The variety is known for its resistance to drought hence its popularity in the Mendoza region, pre-irrigation. Winemaker, Santiago Mayorga has experimented with the variety for the first time using fruit from a 50-year-old Uco valley vineyard which sits 1000 metres above sea level. Here the soil is sandy and littered with pebbles to a depth around 60cm. This coupled with poor fertility and little organic matter makes it the perfect site for Criolla to flourish. This wine contains Criolla Grande with around 10% Criolla Chica due to the mix of the vineyard. Santiago uses small tanks and manual battonage to achieve soft extraction then transfers the wine into concrete eggs for fermentation. Only 4000 bottles have been created and of this, the UK only receives a fraction.
Cadus Signature Series Criolla 2023 (6 bottles case)
Tasting notes
A refreshing change in style to stereotypical full bodied Argentinian reds. This wine exhibits a pretty aroma profile of raspberry compote with fresh red fruits on the palate and crunchy acidity. Think somewhere between Gamay and Cinsault.
Food match
As this is a grape variety similar to Gamay, Cinsault or Pais, its light, fragrant and hugely charming style works well with lamb, mushroom based dishes and dry cured meats.
Info
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ABV
13%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
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GRAPE
CRIOLLA 100%
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FEATURES
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
SANTIAGO MAYORGA
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APPELLATION
VISTA FLORES
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
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Meet the producer
Cadus is a perfectly formed winery near Tupungato, in the shadow of the Andes Mountains, within the Uco Valley. This high altitude region has quickly built a reputation as the home of premium Mendozan wines and the Cadus range is no exception. The soil profiles and compositions within the Uco Valley vary within short distances, allowing for different grape varieties and resulting in wines styles with unique characteristics.
With vineyards in the best sites in the Valley (namely Gualtallary, Vista Flores and Agrelo in Lujan de Cuyo), Cadus wines are classic in style but with a very modern twist thanks to the vision of winemaker Santiago Mayorga (Young Winemaker of the Year 2017) who is quickly forging a reputation for bright, lifted expressions of wine from the region.
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