Bancroft Wines named exclusive UK importer for Roberto de la Mota’s new boutique Argentine winery: Revancha Vinos

We're delighted to announce our new appointment as exclusive UK agent for veteran winemaker Roberto de la Mota's new new boutique winery Revancha.

“La vida me ha dado una hermosa y gran Revancha

Este nuevo juego lo celebro haciendo este vino con mi hijo Rodrigo.”   

“Life has given me a beautiful second chance – Revancha- 

I celebrate this new opportunity making this wine together with my son Rodrigo.”

Roberto de la Mota

 

Roberto de la Mota, partner and winemaker at Mendel Wines is the son of Raul de la Mota - well known Argentine winemaker and pioneer of modern winemaking in Argentina as we have come to know it today.

Roberto was born in a winery, and has worked in winemaking all his life. Revancha represents a new project of his, and a brand that he has created together with his son Rodrigo; a keen 19 year old who is studying agronomy. He will be the third generation in the family to be an agronomist-enologist. The pair started this project together in 2009 with only one wine. The collection now totals three.

Roberto comments:

“In 2009 Rodrigo wanted to participate for the first time in the making of wines from that year's harvest. And so he embarked on the arduous manual vinification work. Afterwards the wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, new and second use and then we made the blend together.

This wine, still without a name, was bottled and remained in storage for over a year. After that time a good friend passed through the winery and I had him taste it. He liked it a lot and told me, without hesitation, that "this wine should be called Revancha, because life has given you a second chance, and you have not only taken it, but you've met the challenge in excellent form!" (He is referring to a dangerous automobile accident I survived in 2007.)”

Information on the wines

The wines, although previously unavailable in the UK have been much lauded in the press with Stephen Tanzer rating them highly in his ‘best new releases from Argentina’ in April of this year, and Robert Parker also awarding them highly (92 points for la Gran Revancha and 90 points for La Primera Revancha). From today the three wines (King, Rook and Pawn) will be available exclusively through Bancroft Wines to both the on and off-trade.

The grapes are mostly from selected vineyards in the Valle de Uco in Mendoza – an area of high altitude with a very fresh climate, which, together with the Cabernet Franc used in the blends, gives the wine spiced and fresh notes.

“In the Revancha wines we've tried to express a young character, fruity and fresh, but also the concentration and complexity coming from selected grapes and a careful vinification in small batches and aging in barrels” says de la Mota.

The labels utilise chess imagery, with the wines manifesting themselves through different pieces. 

  

The Gran Revancha (King) is the top blend: as a unique piece that needs to move thoughtfully and slowly, one step at a time. RRP £27.70

The Malbec Primera Revancha (Rook) is also a strategic figure in the chess, but it moves more swiftly. RRP £19.10

The Malbec Revancha (Pawn) is the fighting piece that gets sent to the front ... fortunately there are plenty of them. This is a wine that can be opened and enjoyed more often. RRP £14.60

Neil McAndrew, Managing Director of Bancroft Wines says: “The wines are terrific quality, great value and have never previously been available in the UK. We expect them to be very well received.”

Sophie McLean, Marketing Manager at Bancroft Wines says: “We are very excited to be working with such a veteran of the Argentine Wine Industry. Both the project and the wines are proof of the dynamism that Argentina still has to offer when it comes to modern wine production, highlighting the boutique side of the industry with great finesse. This new relationship is also a chance for us to invest in the future of Argentinean wine and its new generation of winemakers. They have a wonderful story attached to them.”

Co-owner Anabelle Sielecki says:

“We are very enthusiastic to have Bancroft Wines as our partner in the UK, and look forward to participating at the Beautiful South as an introduction to the market. We are confident that the company and team have the right enthusiasm to present our wines to the on and off trade in London and other regions.”

Revancha represents Bancroft Wines’ third Argentine agency. The other two are Alberto Arizu’s heritage-rich Bodega Luigi Bosca, and Michel Rolland’s Yacochuya. 

All three wineries will be present at the Beautiful South Tasting in September on tables 154, 31, and 230 respectively. 

Revancha co-owner Anabelle Sielecki and the extended Bancroft team will be available for comment and for tasting opportunities at the Beautiful South Tasting on September the 10^th and 11^th, 2014.