The bond with art and history is always present in Saint Felicien. Periodically, its special editions remind us of the story behind this emblematic label and its profound relationship with art. Such is the case, doubly so, with the recent limited releases that have just reached the market: one paying tribute to its 60 harvests; the other giving visibility to the work of Fernando Maza.
‘In the mid-1960s my father showed me—with pride and a touch of doubt—some old French oak barrels that held a 1963 Cabernet Sauvignon of astonishing quality. It reminded us of the Premier Grand Cru Classé of Bordeaux, which we so admired for their peculiar elegance. We decided to bottle it under a new brand: Saint Felicien. Sixty harvests later, we pay tribute to my father, to that singular wine, and to the lineage that inspired it, with an exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon in a Unique Edition, numbered at 10,000 bottles.’
These lines are written by Nicolás Catena Zapata, serving as an introduction to Saint Felicien Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 60 Harvests, a unique edition that recalls the launch of this line, which from the very beginning was illustrated with a work by visual artist Carlos Alonso. The wine draws its grapes from the La Pirámide vineyard in Agrelo (Mendoza), resulting in a Cabernet of impeccable classicism and varietal character, with silky tannins and vibrant freshness.
The special editions that pay tribute to Fernando Maza revisit the artistic side of Saint Felicien, which was born with the work of Carlos Alonso and reinvented itself through the competition won by Clorindo Testa, inaugurating a series of editions featuring personalities such as Raúl Soldi, Gustav Klimt, Miguel Brascó, and Luis Felipe ‘Yuyo’ Noé.
The new wines honor Fernando Maza, recipient of the Palanza Prize from the National Academy of Fine Arts, the Grand Honor Prize of the National Salon of Visual Arts, and distinctions at the VIII São Paulo Biennial, the XXXVI Venice Biennale, among other accolades.
They consist of a Malbec and a Pinot Noir, both from Valle de Uco (Mendoza). The first comes from the Cordón El Cepillo GI, the second from the Pampa El Cepillo GI. The Malbec conveys the minerality of Uco’s finest reds, but it is the Pinot that stands out for its texture, herbal notes, and a balance between classic and modern that makes it enjoyable today while promising excellent aging potential.
