Garage Wine Co. Sauzal Vineyard Carignan-Garnacha-Mataro field-blend Lot #75
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Produced from a single parcel in the Maule Valley, which is located on a coastal mountain range.
- The soils here are granitic and sub-soils have cracked granite that allow roots to get deep into cracks, which produces an ideal amount of stress on the vine to create optimal ripeness in the fruit.
- The vineyard is situated on the sides of a gully, which produces fresher fruit due to less early morning and late afternoon sunshine.
- This is produced with fruit from their grower/partner Nivaldo Morales, who cultivates it in an ancestral way by hand and horse.
- The Carignan is believed to be around 75 years old, and the Garnacha and Mataró were re-grafted on old País roots.
- The 75th wine Garage Wine Co. has produced since 2001, it is marked Lot # 75
Varietal Composition: 50% Carignan 33% Garnacha 17% Mataró
Elaboration: Ancestral farming by hand and horse. Naturally fermented with native yeasts. Open top fermenters. Caps were punched down by hand. Pressing manual. Small portion was made with whole stems stomped with clean feet—this part was more tannic and with higher VA (volatile acidity) and complemented the rest of the barrels. Aged in barrels over two winters— barrels third use or more. Yeasts native. No temperature control (besides opening closing windows) open tank. Pinch of sulfites after Malolactic that normally finishes a full 7 months after harvest. Aged in barrels over two winters— barrels third use or more. Various cooperage’s (Sylvain, Berger, Nadalie – Alliers Noisette toast, and some Burgundy barrels.
Tasting Notes: “The nose is fresh and has tantalizing aromas of blueberries, violets, orange peel, raspberry leaf and aniseed with a touch of aromatic herbs that provide freshness. The palate is electric, with citric acidity, ultra-fine tannins and very good length. This is both rustic and elegant, wild and subtle. None of these wines show any alcohol or wood. This is a superb, fresh, Mediterranean blend that shows what the Maule is capable of.” — Luis Gutierrez
PRESS
2014 – 91 Wine Enthusiast | 93 Wine Advocate
2015 – 93+ Wine Advocate
2016 – 95 Wine Advocate
2017 – 94 Wine Advocate
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Derek Mossman, his wife Pilar Miranda, and Dr. Alvaro Peña are producing 1,500 cases total per year of old-vine Carignan, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, with fruit sourced from small growers in Maule and Maipo.
Winemaking here veers towards the “natural” spectrum – all wines are fermented with native yeast, see no additions of any kind, very little new wood, and are low in sulfites. Punch downs are by hand, and pressing is done in a small traditional basket. You may notice slight variation in bottle thickness and shape if you were to open up cases, as Derek Mossman takes recycling to the next level and actually reuses old bottles, bottling in salvaged, used wine bottles in partnership with a recycling company located near the winery. Derek is also the founder of M.O.V.I. (Movimiento de Viñateros Independientes), Chile’s exciting, fast-growing association of independent vintners.