For a change, something from Chile this week!

Time for something different, yet also somewhat familiar this week! I don't really drink any wine from the new world, but when I found out about Garage Wine Co. and what they are doing with old vines in Chile, I immediately got interested in their wines. This wine comes from Chiles Maule Valley wine region, which lies in Chiles central valley, south of the capital of Santiago. Here the climate tends to be on the cooler side when compared to the more northern wine regions of Chile. This wine comes from the Sauzal vineyard where centenarian vines grow on withered granite soil. The winemakers practice organic viticulture. The wine is a blend of mostly Carignan and Grenache with a little bit of Mourvedre, after fermentation the wine was aged in used oak barriques.

After opening, I decided that the wine needed some air to open up, so I put it into the decanter for about 1 1/2 hours. It then presented itself with notes of raspberry, tart cherry and rosebud. Soon after notes of pink pepper, wet granite, dried herbs and wet leaves are added to the mix. Notes of liquorice and black tea towards the end. The freshness of the palate immediately makes me fall in love with it, here we have a great mix of tart red fruit, balsamic nuances, minerality and herbal/spicy touches. Medium tannins add structure, the finish has great length and complexity, showing notes of pink pepper, rosebud, minerality and black tea.

This is right up my alley, the wine shows a lot of the characteristics that made me fall in love with what the Spaniards are doing with these varietals. Easily the best part of this wine, is how it seamlessly marries fragrant spicy/herbal notes with more elegant touches of red fruit and soil notes. I will definitely have to check out more of this producer's wines and wines from the Maule Valley in general.