MENAT Tathagata 2020

Country: Italy

Region: Calabria

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Gaglioppo

After years dedicated to the importation of Georgian artisanal wines and the selection of coffee and other products in Latin America, Nicola moved to Mexico, where a longtime friend, Michele, visited him and proposed that they reorganize Michele's grandfather's winery and vineyards, located in San Nicola dell'Alto, in the Ionian part of Calabria. The two began to work to create a real ‘marani’ (Georgian-style cellar) in the country, and the MENAT project was born, with the first vintage 2018.

Nicola and Michele of MENAT maintain a strict philosophy about their project, how the wines are made, where they distributed and how they are written about. The philosophy of winemaking learned in Georgia and the decision to follow biodynamic farming are the basis for the project. Menat currently produces four wines, characterized by  freshness and drinkability. They use no additives, including sulfur, maintain a fully biodynamic practice, and use imported Georgian Kvevri.

This wine is 100% Gaglioppo, made from 50 year-old vines overlooking the Ionian Sea. Harvested by hand, spontaneously fermented whole-cluster in stainless steel and Georgian Kvevri for 14 days, then refined in Tinajas di Orozco, large amphorae similar to those that were used as early as 6,000 B.C. for the production of wine in Georgia. Largely influenced by its proximity to the sea, this wine has silky tannins on the structured palate, along with note dark red fruits and a hint of sea salt.