Valentin Bianchi
The Bianchi family winery was founded in 1928 by Italian immigrant Valentin Bianchi...
It now covers 350 hectares of vineyard, situated 750m above sea level in San Rafael, about 240km south of Mendoza city. This is a cooler area than Mendoza’s major vineyard areas of Luján de Cuyo and Agrelo because it is further south, which helps the flavours and perfumes develop more gradually, resulting in more aromatic wines. The estate is now run by the third generation of the family and has undergone a gradual transformation in the past few years, modernising both the winery and the vinification processes. Finca Los Primos comprises a range of excellent value varietals. Famiglia Bianchi, Particular and Enzo are each a step up in concentration and depth of fruit, from older and lower yielding vineyards.
Vineyards
The grapes for this wine come from the Doña Elsa vineyard which is situated in Rama Caída, San Rafael, Mendoza at 750 metres above sea level. Rama Caída is among the coolest areas of San Rafael, with sandy calcareous soils of alluvial origin.
Vinification
The grapes were hand-harvested, hand sorted and de-stemmed. Once in fermenting tanks, cold maceration took place for a few days, followed by fermentation over a period of 20 days, where temperatures did not exceed 30°C. Gentle extraction of colour and flavour was achieved by remontage, or pump-overs, to mix the skins and the juice. The wine was then aged for 14 months in 100% new barrels (80% French oak and 20% American) and aged in bottle for a further 12 months.
Tasting Notes
The 2008 has a deep red/purple colour with intense aromas of violets, tobacco, vanilla, spices & smoke. The palate is full and succulent, with firm yet supple tannins and juicy black fruit. The fresh acidity mingles with cassis, spice and blueberry flavours on the generous, lingering finish.
Vintage information
| Vintage | 2008 |
| Grape varieties |
100% Malbec |
| Region | San Rafael, Mendoza |
| Winemaker | Francisco Martinez |
| Alcohol (ABV) | 15% |
| Acidity | 5.85g/l |
| Residual Sugar | 2.96g/l |
| Wine pH | 3.4 |
Trade customers
Liberty Wines customers can order this wine directly from us.