Winemaker Notes
Vigno is the soul of Gillmore, 100% Carignan from 50 year-old estate vines. In the glass it has a deep red cherry color. On the nose it has very intense red fruit aromas and complex notes of earth, bay leaf and mint tones. Firm tannins and a juicy acidity give the wine a special personality.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
I love the herbal complexity to this on the nose with dried rose petals, lilacs and sage. Very integrated on the palate with red fruit, rolling through medium chewy tannins and painting a delicate but complex picture.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The herbal and aromatic 2015 Vigno from Gillmore always has more spicy notes than the other wines in its category; it has hints of nutmeg and is balsamic, touching on eucalyptus and mint. It has the ripeness of the year and the freshness of the grape. It has fine-grained, slightly rustic tannins and a texture that makes me think of a Barolo, along with hints of tar and roses, more powerful than it seems. Delicious and outstanding for the price.
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Wine Enthusiast
Light aromas of aniseed join sweet cherries and cranberries on the nose. The palate has firm and slightly drying tannins, framing flavors of berry and sage that join notes of smoke in the finish. Good acidity provides freshness to this flavorful Carignan from dry-farmed vineyards in Loncomilla.
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.