Alcance Vigno Carignan 2014
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
This wine is a true expression of Carignan, with intense red fruit and complex notes of earth, bay leaf and mint. Firm tannins and a juicy acidity give this wine a unique personality and superb aging potential. The Vigno's unique label illustration represents the "Cueca" dance, the national dance of Chile.
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Vigno from Alcance, the Kendall Jackson project in Chile, is produced from old vines in Sauzal and younger ones in Huerta de Maule, and this year it's pure Carignan, as it used to have some 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in open-top vats after a seven-day cold soak, and it matured in neutral French barriques for 18 months. There are some faint aromas of creamy oak and hints of tree bark, quite characteristic in the variety. The palate is quite austere, with the granite sensation.
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James Suckling
A little short but some good stone and dark berry character. Juicy fruit on the palate.
Other Vintages
2013-
Wine &
Spirits
The last two decades have taught Alcance that Maule is a place of unlimited potential. With modern planting, farming and winemaking techniques, Maule can produce wines that deliver all the depth, character and complexity of many of the world's finest.
Alance is built around estate vineyards planted over dozens of soil types in various climatic regions. They produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, Vigno (old-vine Carignan) and Bravura, their flagship Bordeaux blend, all of which reflect the unique terroir and sense of place.
Responsible for some of the most stunning old vine red wine on the planet, Carignan has an amazing capacity to survive dry, arid climates and still produce lovely, mouthwatering wine. In Spain it goes by the name of Mazuelo or Cariñena and while it may have originated there in the province of Aragón, its popularity lies elsewhere, particularly in Languedoc-Roussillon. Somm Secret—Historically Carignan did not enjoy the respect that it does today. In the mid 20th century, Carignan covered nearly 140,000 ha in Algeria, where it was made into low quality bulk and blending wine to supply mass-market demand.
Maule is the Central Valley’s most southern and coolest zone, reaching a southern latitude of 35°S, yet it is still warmer and drier than Bío-Bío to its south. The Maule Valley enjoys success with a unique set of grapes.
It lays claim to the local variety, Pais (synonymous with Tinta Pais, which is actually Tempranillo), which has dominated much of the region’s area under vine until the recent past. Now many growers, not confined by the tradition and regulations of the Old World, also successfully grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
While Maule’s total area under vine remains relatively static, its old Carignan vineyards are undergoing a great revival. The VIGNO (Vignadores del Carignan Vintners) group, an association in charge of promoting this long-forgotten variety, is getting fantastic results from the old vines in its dry-farmed coastal zones.
The Maule includes the subregions of Talca, San Clemente, San Javier, Parral, Linares and Cauquenes.