ESCALA HUMANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Description

Escala Humana (meaning “human scale”) was started in 2015 by husband and wife team Ayelén Bonetto and Germán Massera. Germán began making wine in 2003 while studying viticulture and oenology in Mendoza, and naturally became interested in the old vines of the region.

Though much of the older vine stock in Mendoza is in Luyan de Cuyo, Germán set his sights on the highest altitude region of the Uco Valley which also has its fair share of old vines. There, he found his couple of parcels to work with, and through his studious time working under Matias Michelini – one of Argentina’s “new guard” famous biodynamic producers – he applied those same farming and winemaking techniques to his own work.

These vines were planted in 1920 in El Peral, Tupungato, on clay-loam soils. They’re trained to overhead pergolas, which is incredibly rare for Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are both hand-harvested and hand destemmed. Fermentation takes place in concrete egg for 25 days. The wine is then pressed back into concrete for a modest élevage.

It’s a thoroughly authentic cab sauv. The tannins are fine enough, sure, but have some actual grip to them. There are no oak flavours. It’s “only” 13.5% alcohol instead of 15 or so. It has freshness on the nose that is rarely seen from “big cabs”, and loads of subtle complexities on the palate courtesy of those 100+ year old vines. It’s atypical, and unapologetically so. That’s why we love it!