Winemaker Notes
"Hub" is named after the jazz trumpet player, Freddie Hubbarb, whose intensity is mirrored in the strong grip and tension found in the "Hub" Cinsault.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Hub, named after jazz trumpet player Freddie Hubbard because the wine comes from a higher and rockier place in the village of Guarilihue and Parra considers Hubbard the most audacious of the trumpet players. The dry-farmed vines were planted 40 years ago in the higher part of Guarilihue on rocky granite soils with lots of silt and quartz and less sand. It fermented in concrete tanks with 100% full clusters (that amount has been increased in the last few years) and indigenous yeasts, then the wine matured in concrete vat for 11 months. It has a developed orangish color and developed nose, which is as reminiscent of Rayas as any other wine I have tried in my life, with cherries in liqueur and brick dust, expressive and open, with some herbal, minty, almost eucalyptus-like notes. The palate is austere, pure sand and rocks, pure grip, bone with no meat. This wine is only bones, and the only trumpet player with no meat and only bones was Hubbard. For geeky stony wine people... Awesome! 2,664 bottles were filled in February 2022. He purchased this vineyard in 2021, so he manages it 100% his way.
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James Suckling
Fresh watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, crushed pomegranate and some fresh, red flowers. Zesty grapefruit, elegant in style, with very firm, chalky tannins that are nicely integrated on the tangy and minerally attractive palate. A delicious and seductive cinsault. Can hold, but this is irresistible now.
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.