Winemaker Notes
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 3% Alicante Bouchet
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Labels and wines seem to come and go easily at Maitia, and this time I tried the new 2019 Roto that is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon from young vines planted in 2012 in Loncomilla in Maule, with 10% Syrah and 5% Alicante Bouschet. It fermented and matured in concrete and has a moderate 13% alcohol. It feels extremely primary and young, almost like fermenting grape juice. Well, it's fermented grape juice after all! It's a rush of fruit and has a juicy texture. It's simple, raw, naked, pure, satisfying and very good for what it is.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.