Michelini i Mufatto

Michelini i Mufatto Family: Andres and Gerardo with son Manuel (Manu)

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Country of Origin: Spain
Location: Bierzo, Spain
People: Andres Mufatto, Gerardo Michelini, & Manuel Michelini Mufatto, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Practicing Organic

Items

Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'A Merced' Mencia, Bierzo Login WA 95 On Order
Michelini i Mufatto 2022 'En el Camino' Mencia, Bierzo Login WA 92+ On Order
Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'Encrucijada' Mencia, Bierzo Login WA 97 On Order
Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'Post-Crucifixion' Mencia Field Blend, Bierzo (wooden box) Login WA 98 On Order

Michelini i Mufatto is the family enterprise of Andrea Mufatto, Gerardo Michelini and their son, Manuel Michelini. The three share a common vision aimed at making wines guided by an approach based on respect, purity and accuracy, implemented into three terroirs: the Uco Valley (Argentina), Bierzo (Spain) and Maldonado (Uruguay). Mother, father and son share a way to interpret a natural environment and its fruits, involving the thorough quest for the essence of each terrain’s character.

Andrea Mufatto and Gerardo Michelini fell in love with the region of Bierzo, and specifically with some forgotten areas of Ponferrada, such as Valdecañada and Ozuela. They found old vineyards of great potential there, and in 2015 they began making wines that shortly afterwards captivated wine lovers and critics around the world.

Michelini and Mufatto make their Bierzo wines based on the characteristic regional varieties (Mencía, Godello, Palomino, Merenzao, Brancellao, Garnacha Tintorera and Doña Blanca), relying on goblet-pruned vineyards older than 80 years, planted on soils composed of slate stone and clay in the area’s cold climate (which is due to the fact that vineyards are planted on the northern side of the mountains). All vineyards are organic and focus on biodynamics, for the purposes of achieving the best plant expression.

In the cellar, they employ traditional winemaking methods, usually involving the use of whole clusters and native yeast fermentation in clay amphorae before aging in 228-litre used Burgundy barrels and wooden foudres. This results in limited edition wines that reflect the essence of this traditional Spanish region.

Reviews

  • Michelini i Mufatto 2022 'En el Camino' Mencia, Bierzo
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 92+ (8/10/2023)
    2022 was […] a warm year, extremely dry, with a very torrid summer, but they managed to keep the alcohol level of the 2022 En el Camino to the same 12.5% as the 2021 I tasted next to it. Furthermore, there might have been some blocking in the plants, as the alcohol didn't go up and the acidity was kept. It's very primary and innocent. It's 90% Mencía with 10% other grapes like Palomino, Doña Blanca and Alicante Bouschet, fermented with 30% full clusters and a short maceration. Fifty percent of the wine matured in oak casks and the other 50% in stainless steel for a period of a little less than one year. 30,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2023. Drink 2023-2029.
  • Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'A Merced' Mencia, Bierzo
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 95 (8/10/2023)
    The 2021 A Merced is surprisingly a little higher in alcohol than the 2020 I tasted next to it, despite the much cooler year. It fermented with 50% foot-trodden whole clusters in 1,000-liter oak casks with indigenous yeasts and a long maceration. It matured in used 225-liter French oak barrels for one year. It's a little earthy but also floral and elegant, combining that wild side that seems to be inherent to this place, as I've noticed it in the last few vintages. It's quite expressive and showy, very complete and balanced. 10,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2022. Drink 2023-2031.
  • Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'Encrucijada' Mencia, Bierzo
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 97 (8/10/2023)
    All of the wines from 2021 have considerably less alcohol than the counterparts from 2020, reflecting the much cooler condition of the year. The 2021 Encrucijada has a moderate 12% alcohol and retained very good acidity. It's perfumed and elegant; the plants are happier after being recovered from being abandoned, and the cool vintage lifted the wine up. It's fresh, tightly wound, very tasty and fine, with elegant tannins. It has to be the most elegant and balanced vintage of Encrucijada so far. 1,700 bottles were filled in October 2022. Drink 2023-2032.
  • Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'Post-Crucifixion' Mencia Field Blend, Bierzo (wooden box)
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 98 (8/10/2023)
    The 2021 Post-Crucifixión is from an ancient plot of 0.25 hectares planted with a field blend of Mencía and plenty of Galician varieties—Merenzao, Brancellao, Palomino or Godello in Santalla del Bierzo. The cooler 2021 delivered a wine with only 12% alcohol and lots of freshness. It fermented with 100% full clusters that were foot trodden in clay tinajas with a long maceration and aged 18 months in used 500-liter French oak barrels. Here, they have quite a lot of Merenzao (or Trousseau) that, in this cooler year, seems to mark the wine quite a lot, with perfumed and elegant floral aromas. It's ethereal and elegant, very fine-boned. This is more in line with the 2018 than the 2019, with the personality and perhaps a little more depth and complexity but still quite ethereal. Superb! They have closed the vineyards so they don't get the wild boards that use to eat a lot of grapes; so in the future, there might be a little more wine. Only 593 bottles were filled in June 2023. Drink 2023-2034.