The Land

Montesco’s “Piefranc” comes from San Pablo, Tunuyan in the Uco Valley, one of Argentina’s most distinctive high-altitude zones. Vineyards sit around 1,100–1,200 meters on the Andean alluvial fan, where poor, fast-draining soils of gravel, sand, and angular stones force Cabernet Franc to dig deep. Large boulders and fractured river rock define much of the site, limiting vigor and naturally lowering yields. Cool mountain winds, intense solar radiation, and wide diurnal swings preserve freshness and aromatic lift—key for a variety that can easily tip into greenness or over-ripeness elsewhere. Farming leans toward minimal intervention, with careful canopy work and low chemical use to protect acidity and maintain purity in the fruit.

The Wine

Piefranc is vinified with a light touch to highlight the variety’s floral, herbal, and mineral character rather than push for extraction or oak impact. Fermentation occurs with native yeasts, in concrete, allowing for gentle tannin development and clarity of fruit. Élevage is similarly restrained, relying on older wood or concrete to avoid masking the site’s freshness. The 2022 vintage shows ripe blackberry, cassis, and dark cherry layered with violet, fresh tobacco, and a subtle graphite edge from the stony soils. The palate is medium-bodied, bright, and linear, with fine, polished tannins and a cool, savory finish. It reads as a precise, lifted Cabernet Franc—more Loire-inspired in structure, but uniquely shaped by Uco Valley altitude and intensity.

The People

Passionate Wines is the project of Matías Michelini, a central figure in the Uco Valley’s movement toward site-transparent, low-intervention winemaking. Michelini farms and vinifies with a philosophy of energy, tension, and minimal manipulation, always aiming to express place over power. His Montesco label focuses on mountain fruit from higher, rockier parcels, often working with concrete, native yeasts, and limited sulfur. Piefranc reflects his style clearly: aromatic, vertical, and shaped by the altitude of Los Chacayes. Michelini’s work has helped define a new generation of Argentine wines—ones that prioritize freshness, texture, and terroir nuance rather than the heavy, oak-driven styles that once dominated the region.

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