Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pirque Vineyard has black fruit rather than herbal aromas and feels a bit rounder and more powerful than I anticipated. The fun way Derek Mossman described it perfectly fit what I saw. "I once said it was an elegant blue-fruited gent with muscles inside a well-cut jacket," Mossman explained. "Perhaps said gent grew a bit of a beer belly in 2018, but in 2019 the muscles are back." It comes form approximately one hectare planted in the 1980s in Pirque at 600 meters in altitude on alluvial soils with classic round stones. This is lot #100, and in the past it was produced as lots 90, 80, 70, 60 and 50.
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Vinous
The 2018 Cabernet Franc Pirque Vineyard – Lot 100 from Maipo was aged for 2 years in used barrels. Dark garnet red in color. The pleasantly intense nose presents notes of ash, jalapeño and black currant. Smooth and compact in the mouth, with firm tannins. A wine that grows more rich and profound as it goes on; alcoholic energy enhances the finish.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.