Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
An amphora-made cinsault with dried berry and hints of walnut. Medium to full body, soft tannins and a juicy finish. The amphoras are 100 or more years old.
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Vinous
Reflecting what Hermann characterized as the “Beerenauslese selectivity needed this year to produce an Auslese,” this 400-liter lot nevertheless represents only a modest proportion of botrytized berries, the rest having been overripe and lightly desiccated but healthy. (As with other Goldkapsel bottlings, he has this year appended the designation “Alte Reben” for good measure.) The scents and palate presence here delightfully suggest a mint- and sassafras-laced orange sorbet. There is also a liqueur-like side to the herbal essences, reinforced by the wine’s glossy feel and extreme sweetness. While lacking the clarity, let alone sheer drinkability, of this year’s Treppchen Auslese or trio of gold capsule Spätlesen, this wine’s sheer persistence is formidable, and if one has enough patience, perhaps refinement and further complexity, as well as a diminution of sheer sweetness, will emerge.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark aromas of violet, black cherry, plum and wet clay lead to a flush, well-balanced palate. This amphorae-fermented-and-aged Cinsault from Itata tastes decidedly natural, with an abundance of pure plum, currant and cherry fruit. The finish is bright and lively as well.
A charmer in the Southern Rhône Valley, Cinsault thrives in any hot and windy climate, and finds success in many other countries. It is a parent grape alongside Pinot Noir, of South Africa’s acclaimed red grape, Pinotage. Somm Secret—Given its relatively long history in California, Cinsualt is often “hidden” in the Zinfandel blends of Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties. Historically planted alongside Zinfandel (with Petite Sirah and Mourvedre) in the same vineyard, Cinsault is now an essential part of many “field blends.”
Dramatic geographic and climatic changes from west to east make Chile an exciting frontier for wines of all styles. Chile’s entire western border is Pacific coastline, its center is composed of warm valleys and on its eastern border, are the soaring Andes Mountains.
Chile’s central valleys, sheltered by the costal ranges, and in some parts climbing the eastern slopes of the Andes, remain relatively warm and dry. The conditions are ideal for producing concentrated, full-bodied, aromatic reds rich in black and red fruits. The eponymous Aconcagua Valley—hot and dry—is home to intense red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.
The Maipo, Rapel, Curicó and Maule Valleys specialize in Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends as well as Carmenère, Chile’s unofficial signature grape.
Chilly breezes from the Antarctic Humboldt Current allow the coastal regions of Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley to focus on the cool climate loving varieties, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Chile’s Coquimbo region in the far north, containing the Elqui and Limari Valleys, historically focused solely on Pisco production. But here the minimal rainfall, intense sunlight and chilly ocean breezes allow success with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The up-and-coming southern regions of Bio Bio and Itata in the south make excellent Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Spanish settlers, Juan Jufre and Diego Garcia de Cáceres, most likely brought Vitis vinifera (Europe’s wine producing vine species) to the Central Valley of Chile sometime in the 1550s. One fun fact about Chile is that its natural geographical borders have allowed it to avoid phylloxera and as a result, vines are often planted on their own rootstock rather than grafted.