A generous donation of a case (12 bottles) of 2021 Cabernet Franc Rosé from AWI vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina.

The Tasting Notes:
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Franc Rosé
Location of Vineyard: Los Chacayes, Uco, Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Altitude: 1,100 meters (4,365 feet)
Alcohol: 14.1%
Production: 600 bottles
Tasting Notes: Clean and bright, onion skin color. Marked aromas of fresh red fruits where raspberries stand out, accompanied by orange blossom flowers and notes of melon. Very good fresh and delicate attack, great volume in the middle of the mouth and an exact balance between acidity, fruit and alcohol. Persistent finish with characteristic herbal notes from Cabernet Franc.

They are a boutique winery located in Houston that focuses on selling wines produced from a unique vineyard in the Uco Valley in Argentina.  While not a typical business model, AWI Winery of Texas is an extension of a wild idea developed by friends who identified an interesting opportunity in a remote, but highly promising area in Mendoza, Argentina in 2008.  They have been making wine since 2011 but decided in 2014  that the wines produced from this area are exceptional and that they had to find a way to market our wines.

The Wines:
AWI Wines produces red, white, and rosé wines from their small vineyard in Argentina.  The red wines are made from super premium grapes harvested by hand and aged 12-14 months in new and second-use French oak barrels. The white and rosé wines are made from grapes that they purchase from their neighbors. 

The  wines are crafted by the Vines of Mendoza winemaker - Pablo Martorell, who is assisted by the Wine Director for the Vines of Mendoza project - Mariana Onofri.

The Winemakers:

The Vines of Mendoza’s winemaker, Pablo Martorell is young, but already heavily awarded by Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast for The Vines’ Recuerdo Wines. Born and raised in Tunuyán, he has worked at some of the most important wineries in Mendoza, including Bodega Nieto Senetiner, Catena Zapata, Trivento, and Bodega Flecha de los Andes, under the esteemed Michel Rolland’s tutelage. He has also worked in wineries internationally. In 2006, he worked with Chateau de Lauret in Pomerol, Bordeaux, and in 2007, for Chateau Peyre Lebade and Chateau Clarke in Medoc, Bordeaux, both part of the Rothschild Group. In 2009, he worked for Napa Wine Company in California.

Mariana Onofri has been the Wine Director for The Vines of Mendoza since 2009, overseeing all vineyard owner winemaking plans and customizing wine design. This includes managing blending sessions and barrel tastings for the company’s Private Vineyard owners, and over 330 fermentations in The Vines' 2016 harvest alone. She supervises all wine selection and wine experience for the company’s Siete Fuegos restaurant and The Vines Tasting Room. Prior to The Vines, she worked at Chateau La Violette in Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, and has been Sommelier at La Bourgogne in Punta Del Este Uruguay. She also did winemaking internships in Napa and France and has launched her wine brand, Onofri Wines, with wines made at The Vines of Mendoza winery.

The Vineyard:
Located in the 1,500 acres of private vineyards developed by the Vines of Mendoza, the small "fincas", which they call "Finca La Idea Loca",  produces 3 varietals of grapes - Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and the newest vineyard which is called "Finca La Otra Idea Loca" produces Viognier.  In addition to the grapes harvested from the finca, they have access to more than 30 other varietals grown by their neighbors to use in the winemaking.  In recent years they have purchased various other red varietals including Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot and various white varietals including Torrontes, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay to be used in their winemaking.

The Agronomist Francisco Evangelista:
Coming from a Mendoza agronomist family, and working in vineyards since 1994, earth is in Francisco’s blood. Francisco has been a crucial part of The Vines of Mendoza from the start, including the overall vineyard design to personally overseeing the planting and managing of all the vineyards (currently more than 900 acres)  – spending endless hours in the vineyard, overseeing development and maintenance of The Vines.

If the winner of this item cannot attend the event, collection can be arranged at a later date.

Contact details - Main Office:

Address: 11211 Richmond Ave., Suite B-106, Houston, Texas 77082
Website: www.awiwines.com
Email: conrad@awiwines.com
Telephone: (832) 453-6439