Walter Bressia, owner and winemaker, has been in the Argentine wine trade for almost 30 years. He was the winemaker at Bodega Vistalba and Viniterra from 1998 to 2003. His years of experience are evident in his wines. Walter and his wife Marita, along with their children, daughter Marita and son Walter Jr, have been producing some of Argentina's finest wines since 2003.
Walter's concept involves the notion of "Vinos de Autor" (Author's wines) or personalized high quality wines. Walter Bressia has 320 oak barrels, almost all new French and American oak (60% French, 40% American).
At the beginning of 2003, together with his wife and children, Walter Bressia started a family company under the concept of “Family Wines”, which was the result of his long experience and trajectory as a winemaker in the domestic and International markets. It is a small project whose main goal is the limited and personal sale of small batches of wine and grappa of the highest quality. Each bottle is unique, so one can enjoy the pleasure offered by the particularity of each vintage.
The vineyards measure 20 hectares (49.40 acres). The grapes planted are Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. In the future, he plans to make a sparkling Malbec.
A new estate for me, Bodega Bressia-s proprietor, Walter Bressia, has been in the Argentine wine trade for nearly three decades. My favorite of Bressia-s three white wines, the 2010 Lagrima Canela ($50 a bottle) was too expensive to be included in this report, but it-s a killer wine. A barrel-fermented blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Semillon, it is a rich, textured, honeyed effort displaying notes of figs, melons, mangoes and other tropical fruits. I tasted two other Bressia wines that were priced too high for this report, the 2009 Profundo (50% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% each Merlot and Syrah); ($40.00; 92 points) and the prodigious 2009 Conjuro (50% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot); ($120.00; 96 points).
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - Issue#208, August 2013
Vineyards are located in Vista Flores.
Monteagrelo Cabernet Franc has beautiful ruby red with purple highlights.
It displays aromas of ripe red berries with a nice wood smoke complexity, thanks to the aging in French oak barrels. The wine has a very good structure, but the tannins are still quite round and integrated.
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Item Number | Unit | Units/Case | Type | UPC - bottle | SCC - case | SRP/Unit |
AR0EE157055CFM | 750ml | 6 | Glass | 7 84585 01395 1 | 1 07 84585 01395 8 | $27.00 |
Aged in 60% French and 40% American oak barrels for 10 months. No filtration and no fining.
The finish is very long and will allow the wine to be consumed with food, such as grilled meat or cheese.
"The pick of the Monteagrelo wines, at least for me, in 2016, this comes from Vista Flores and is a beautifully judged expression of a variety that has found a home in the Uco Valley. Leafy, fine and refreshing, with black cherry and graphite notes. 2019-26"
- Tim Atkin (Argentina Special Report 2018), 93 pts
"The Cabernet Franc that Bressia acquires in Vista Flores comes from a 15 year old vineyard (same one as the Syrah) planted on the area’s alluvial soils with a high percentage of sand. But 2016, one of the coldest ever in Mendoza, molded the fruit in a very different way, highlighting more herbal notes. For those unfriendly to herbal flavors, they may be excessive, but we like that there here at “Descorchados”, mainly because they’re accompanied with heaps of red fruit in a lightish body with crisp acidity."
- Descorchados, 92 pts
"A lively nose is saucy and lightly herbal, with plum and berry notes. A firm, slightly raw palate features pointy tannins, while this tastes of tomato, plum and berry fruits. Drying tannins and snappy acidity are the main factors on a fresh finish. Given that 2016 was a rainy vintage, this deserves praise. - Michael Schachner"
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (February 1st 2019), 90 pts
"Mulberry fruit, plums, licorice and spices. Full body, plenty of red fruit, a firm tannin backbone and a fruity finish. Juicy. Drink now."
- James Suckling (April 2018), 90 pts
"The herbal and somehow charred 2016 Monteagrelo Cabernet Franc was produced with grapes grown in Vista Flores in the Valle de Uco that fermented with selected yeasts and matured in French and American oak barrels for ten months. It has some spicy notes and some notes of cooked vegetables. The palate is medium-bodied, with round, polished tannins and some bitterness in the finish. 17,000 bottles were filled in March 2017. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #237, June 2018), 89 pts
"(14.5% alcohol; aged for 12 months in new French and American oak): Bright, dark red. Lovely rose petal and violet topnotes lift aromas of musky dark raspberry, licorice, menthol and peppery herbs, with a hint of leather adding complexity. Quite dry and classic, offering moderate depth but good shape and life in the mouth, and the definition and inner-mouth aromatic character of the better '16s. A Cabernet leafiness is joined by some new oak and leather nuances. Finishes with dusty tannins and good very length and lift. Sexy juice. - Stephen Tanzer"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (Argentina’s Wines Enter The World Stage, July 2018), 89 pts
"The 2014 Monteagrelo Cabernet Franc showed pungent herbal notes and a touch of incense, something I later saw in other wines. It's quite classically proportioned, with elegant, fine-grained tannins. It matured in a mixture of French and American oak barrels for 12 months, a shorter élevage than in the past.- Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (December 2016), 90 pts
"A light and velvety cabernet franc, this comes from the heights of Vista Flores, in the Uco Valley. It is simple and charming, with herbal notes spiking the red berry flavors, ready for baked pork chops."
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (February 2017), 90 pts
"Spicy, slightly green aromas of plum and currant open this Cabernet Franc. The tight, solid palate is light in feel and not overextracted. Saucy, oaky flavors of berry fruits, spice and cocoa finish with a distinct flavor of oak. Drink through 2019.- M.S."
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (December 2017), 89 pts
"The Bressias' Cabernet Franc comes solely from Vista Flores and is always a delightful single varietal expression of the grape, showing notes of graphite, green pepper and minerality with soft leafy tannins and a core of acidity. Drink: 2015-20"
- Tim Atkin (Argentina Special Report 2015), 93pts
"Early on this shows edgy, minty aromas of toasty oak, but then plum, wild berry, warm dust and malty notes settle in. Chunky, grapy weight makes for a full, broad palate, while baked berry and savory meat flavors end dark, potent and satisfying. Drink through 2030. — M.S."
Wine Enthusiast (October 2015), 92pts + Cellar Selection
The 2010 Monteagrelo Cabernet Franc does not shy away from expressing the grape variety on the nose, with those lovely bell pepper notes augmenting the rustic black fruit profile. The palate is well-balanced with crisp acidity, vibrant red berry fruit and a nicely composed Loire-meets-Argentina finish. This is a superb take on the grape variety – bravo! Drink now-2018.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 203, October 2012), 92 pts
Good ruby-red. Blueberry, licorice, mocha and coffee bean on the nose, plus a whiff of roasted herbs. Slightly wild in a positive way, with dark fruit flavors complicated by smoky minerality and a saline element. Plump, fine-grained, silky wine, finishing with smooth tannins. Already very easy to drink.
Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Issue 167, March/April 2013), 89 pts
Dark red. Sexy, complex nose offers red- and blackcurrant, fresh herbs, flowers, coffee bean, milk chocolate and licorice; distinctly claret-like. Lively acidity gives energy and lift to the redcurrant and spice flavors. At once intense and pliant, with nothing forced about it. Finishes very long and lively, with smooth tannins and lingering notes of currant, flowers and herbs. As good a cabernet franc bottling as I've yet tasted from Argentina.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (2012), 91 pts
"This is one of Walter Bressia's better wines under his Monteagrelo label. It opens with spicy, peppery aromas that include cherry and berry scents. The palate is tannic, with cassis, plum, basil, oregano and spice flavors. This finishes long, with notes of coffee and chocolate entering the picture. — M.S. (8/1/2012)"
Wine Enthusiast (August 1st 2012), 90pts