Federico Benegas Lynch was raised at El Trapiche, a winery established in 1883 by his great, great grandfather, Don Tiburcio Benegas, one of the original pioneers of Argentine wine. The winery was finally sold in the 1970s and in 1998, following a successful business career in Buenos Aires, Federico returned to Mendoza to re-kindle his lifelong passion and professional destiny, wine. He bought Finca La Libertad, an historic 40-hectare vineyard with soils of stone on the old Upper Mendoza riverbank in Cruz de Piedra, and the old winery that belonged to his mothers family which he quickly set about refurbishing. His idea was based on the traditional French Chteaux system, where proprietorship of vineyard and winery are inextricably linked.

Today Bodega Benegas itself is a marvel, a real treat for the visitor, a sort of hybrid between a museum and a welcoming family home with extensive underground cellars where archive vintages are kept, and upstairs one of the most impressive dining rooms you can imagine (with legendary asado to match if youre lucky).

And the wines? Well, forget about the New World. This is one of the best ways to experience Argentinas distinctly European wine culture. Of course, there is lovely opulence, purity and generosity in the fruit, but there is also tension, sometimes an exciting nervosity in the structure.

Benegas is one of the great true stories of the wine world, a slice of living history no less, and with Gisella Garrido and Maria Alvarez in the winemakers team at the helm day-to-day, the future looks very bright indeed.

Production

Picked from the finest parcels of Benegas’ Sangiovese vines, planted in 1935 in the Finca Libertad vineyard in Mendoza’s Upper River Bank at 850m altitude.

The grapes were cold soaked and then fermented with native yeasts. Macerated on the skins for 2 weeks post fermentation, the wine was then racked and underwent malolactic fermentation before 12 months aging in French oak barrels.

Tasting Notes

Made from grapes planted in 1935 by the Benegas family on the Finca Libertad estate in Maip, this might be an oddity but it certainly isnt a gimmick. Comparisons with Italy are inevitable but ultimately pointless; this is proudly Argentine.

Notes of ripe black fruit mingle with the typical freshness of the variety along with elegant aromas of cocoa and vanilla. On the palate the wine is fresh, integrated, with a high acidity that balances with the alcoholand the round tannins. Persistent finish with herbal and soft smoky notes.

Great for mushroom risotto or steak with salsa verde.