Winemaker Notes
Blend: 85% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon & Carmenere
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A field blend of mostly malbec with some cab, merlot and carmenere. All co-fermented. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a fresh finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Old Bush Vines Single Vineyard Limávida is sourced from a 2.3-hectare, ungrafted, dry farmed Maule vineyard planted back in 1945 with a field blend, mainly Malbec (close to 85%) and other red grapes such as Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon and another unidentified varieties on granitic soils. This is the oldest vineyard they work in the northernmost part of the valley. The grapes are harvested very early in the morning to avoid heat, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 5,000-liter oak foudres for two years. There is a creamy note intermixed with wild berry and spice aromas that give it a commercial profile. However, the palate is much more vertical with higher acidity than you expect, making it a little austere (is it the granite?); ideal for the table. 13,300 bottles were filled in May 2015.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
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.