PRODUCER
MENAT
San Nicola dell'Alto,
CALABRIA
INFORMATION
AFTER YEARS SPENT IMPORTING GEORGIAN WINES AND A SELECTION OF COFFEE AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM LATIN AMERICA, NICOLA MOVED TO MEXICO, AND IT IS HERE WHERE MICHELE, A LONGTIME FRIEND, VISITED HIM AND PROPOSED TO TAKE OVER HIS GRANDFATHER'S WINERY AND VINEYARDS, LOCATED IN SAN NICOLA DELL'ALTO, IN THE IONIAN SIDE OF CALABRIA. THE TWO CREATED A REAL ‘MARANI’ (GEORGIAN-STYLE CELLAR) IN THE COUNTRY AND THE FIRST VINTAGE OF MENAT WAS BORN IN 2018. THE DUO IS VERY ELUSIVE, ABSENT FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND EXTREMELY STRICT ABOUT THEIR PROJECT: HOW ITS MADE, WHERE ITS DISTRIBUTED AND HOW IT IS SPOKEN OF. WITH THE HELP OF THE AGRONOMIST MICHELE LORENZETTI, THEY WORK BIODYNAMICALLY IN THE VINES, WHILE IN THE CELLAR THEY WORK WITH IMPORTED GEORGIAN KVEVRI AND MAKE NO USE OF EXOGENOUS PRODUCTS, INCLUDING SULPHUR.
GREKO
GRAPES: GRECO IONICO, ANSONICA, GUARDAVALLE
STYLE: MACERATO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: GRECO MACERATES GEORGIAN KVEVRI FOR 6 LUNAR CYCLES, ANSONICA MACERATES IN TINAJAS FOR 10 DAYS
JI JIAN
GRAPES: GAGLIOPPO
STYLE: ROSATO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: SOME WHOLE-CLUSTER AND SOME DESTEMMED GRAPES PRESSED INTO GEORGIAN KVEVRI, AGING IN GEORGIAN KVEVRI FOR 9 LUNAR CYCLES
MENATE ZERO
GRAPES: GAGLIOPPO
STYLE: ROSSO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: 33% DESTEMMED AND PRESSED, 33% DESTEMMED AND MACERATED FOR 5 DAYS, 33% WHOLE BUNCHES MACERATED FOR 20 DAYS, 6 MONTHS AGING IN QVEVRI
TATHAGATA
GRAPES: GAGLIOPPO, PEDILONGO, NERELLO CALABRESE, CABERNET SAUVIGNON
STYLE: ROSSO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: DESTEMMED, 14 DAYS UNPRESSED GRAPES IN STEEL, THEN GENTLY CRUSHED, AGING IN OROZCO’S TINAJAS AND QVEVRI
ARGOT
GRAPES: 50% GAGLIOPPO, 50% MONTEPULCIANO
STYLE: ROSSO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: 1 WEEK WHOLE-CLUSTER SPONTANEOUS FERMENTATION PRIOR TO PRESSING AND AGING IN TINAJA
SLOBO
GRAPES: GRECO NERO
STYLE: ROSSO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: VINO FATTO CON UVA SANA E BASTA, YEAH!
RUBEDO
GRAPES: MONTEPULCIANO
STYLE: ROSSO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: AGED IN TINAJA
SLOBO
GRAPES: GRECO NERO
STYLE: ROSSO
SOIL: LIMESTONE, CLAY, SANDSTONE
VINIFICATION: VINO FATTO CON UVA SANA E BASTA, YEAH!