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almaule wines from Maule made from Pais grapes from old vines
Chile FeaturesWineMaule

Almaule – giving soul to País wines from Maule

by Amanda Barnes
written by Amanda Barnes

A new association of producers is trying to put Maule’s País wines back on the map through a joint initiative to make juicy, fresh red wines. Almaule, standing for alma (soul) and Maule, was founded by six wineries to make approachable País wines under the same collective label, and help bring it back as the local beverage of choice.

Bouchon Family Wines, Erasmo, Gillmore, Cooperativa Loncomilla, Garage Wine Co and Las Veletas are the six founding wineries of the Almaule movement. Although each winery makes their Almaule wine in their own style, each wine has to follow a certain set of requirements:

  • Grapes all come old bush vines (30+ years)
  • The wine is at least 90% País
  • The wine is focused on being fresh, light, dry and clean
  • The wine has a maximum 12.5% ABV and is dry (less than 5 g/l RS)

The wines also have to be affordable (less than US$15) so that they can be enjoyed by everyone as an everyday wine.

The brand ‘Almaule’ also has to be dominant on the label with the individual producer cited below. This is similar to the requirements for Vigno.

Find out more about Almaule on their website: http://almaule.cl/

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Guide to the wineries in Chile. Chileno Sur association for wineries in Itata Valley in Chile
Bio BioMallecoMauleItata

Sur Chileno: A new association for independent wineries in Itata, Bio Bio, Maule & Malleco

by Amanda Barnes
written by Amanda Barnes

Sur Chileno is a new association of independent producers in southern Chile’s regions of Maule, Itata, Bio Bio and Malleco who are working together to promote the authentic wines of the south. Southern Chile is undoubtedly a special place when it comes to making wines of great character and authenticity, and the goal of the eight founding wineries for Sur Chileno is to promote this identity together and help push towards more sustainable wine production in the south.

“We are all independent wineries and share the same key philosophies,” explains one of the founding members, Enzo Pandolfi of Pandolfi Price winery in Itata. “What are fundamental philosophies for all of us are: being respectful of the identity of wines from southern Chile; focusing on environmental, social and economic sustainability in wine production and fair trade; cooperation and unity between producers to support each other; and offering wines of great quality from southern Chile. We believe we can have a greater impact together as an association in promoting the wines and producers of the region.”

Founded in November 2020, Sur Chileno was supported and initiated by CORFO Ñuble. There are eight wineries who are the founders of the association, but it remains open for new associate members. The founding wineries are:

Massoc Frères

A family winery started in 2015 in Itata working with old vines there and is making an interesting line up of Moscatel, Cinsault and País wines, as well as a range of fortified wines and spirits.

Roberto Henríquez

Roberto is a renowned natural winemaker making wines from old vines in Bio Bio and Itata. His wines are highly sought-after internationally and he is recognised for his focus on artisanal winemaking traditions.

Clos des Fous

This exciting terroir focused project has been focused on finding special vineyards around Chile to make distinctive expressions of key varietals. Clos des Fous has a particular focus on old vines in southern Chile as well as new vines in the emerging region of Malleco.

Pandolfi Price

One of the modern producers of Itata who has really put it on the map international, Pandolfi Price is a family winery with a focus on premium Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.

Riveras del Chillán

Gonzalo Chandía Tolosa is a third generation vintner in Itata with 65 hectares of vines. His wines reflect the new direction of the family wine production, into adventurous styles of artisanal wines made from old vines.

Lomas de Llahuén

Brothers Francisco and Gustavo Riffo started this family winery in Itata, and today Lomas de Llahuén has an interesting focus on making traditional pipeño wines from old vines in native raulí pipas.

Berta

Berta is a family winery in Itata founded in 1997 with 87 hectares of vines on the riverbanks of River Ñuble. The family have quite a large portfolio of wines ranging from sparkling to still.

Tinto de Rulo

This boutique wine project from two friends in Itata and Maule is focused on making natural wines from old vines. The wines are artisanal in style and scale but show the great potential of old vine Malbec and Carignan among other varieties.

 

To find out more about Sur Chileno, you can visit their website surchileno.cl and watch this video:

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Bouchon Family Wines winemaker Christian Sepulveda interview on Maule
Chile FeaturesChile Wine GuideWineMaule

Old vines & Maule wine regions: Terroir Talk interview with Bouchon winemaker Christian Sepúlveda

by Amanda Barnes
written by Amanda Barnes

Have you discovered the old vines and wines of Maule yet? Bouchon Family Wines winemaker Christian Sepúlveda shares a masterclass into Maule wine regions and the incredible diversity of old vines that thrive here, with a special focus on Semillon, País and Carignan.

In this winemaker interview, and part of our Terroir Talk series, one of Chile’s most exciting winemakers of the new generation dives deep into what makes Maule unique and distinctive. Amanda Barnes interviews Christian Sepúlveda about the terroir secrets and old vine treasures in Maule’s diverse regions – from Costa to Entre Cordilleras and Andes. Touching on the importance of the coastal influence and granite concentration in the soils, this is ideal for MW, MS and WSET students!

As a way to explore the wine regions, they taste through three emblematic wines for Bouchon and also for Maule: Bouchon Granito Semillon, Bouchon País Salvaje and Bouchon Vigno Carignan.

 

Interview with winemaker Christian Sepúlveda, Bouchon Family Wines

Wine tasting Bouchon Family Wines Maule

Three incredible and emblematic wines, not only for Bouchon but for Maule. Don’t miss these vinous gems!

Bouchon Family Wines Semillon Maule ChileBouchon Family Wines Semillon Granito

Semillon is a superheroine waiting to be uncovered in Chile… There used to be well over 35,000 hectares planted but today just shy of 800 remains. Bouchon has been one of the key advocates for bringing this incredible variety back into the limelight and Granito Semillon is a shining example of how wonderfully the variety works in South America.

Attractive notes of dried flowers, pear, Meyer lemon and beeswax greet you on the nose while in the palate it sings with a racy acidity, rich weight and textural, long finish. This is a white wine for red wine lovers, and I adore it! One of the best white wines in Chile.

  • Maule Costa, Batuco
  • 100% Semillon
  • Winemaker: Christian Sepúlveda, Bouchon Family Wines
  • Winemaking: Oak fermented (15 – 18C) for 10 days, 12 months aged in French oak.

 

Bouchon Family Wines País Salvaje

Bouchon Pais Salvaje wine from Maule, guide to best wines in MauleThis wine comes with a rather incredible story. Made from very old País vines which grow wild among the trees in the river creek in Bouchon’s Mingre vineyard, the grapes are all harvested by hand and require scaling up ladies and crawling under bushes to reach! The wine is then made in a very simple, artisanal way which reflects the true character of this wild País.

It’s a gloriously fruity and fresh wine with notes of rosehips, wild strawberries and meadow flowers, but in the palate it is actually quite serious with grip, freshness and a long finish. Chile’s answer to a very serious Beaujolais!

  • Maule, Mingre
  • 100% País
  • Winemaker: Christian Sepúlveda, Bouchon Family Wines
  • Winemaking: Fermented with native yeasts

Harvesting the wild vines of Pais for País Salvaje Bouchon Family Wines in Maule

Bouchon Family Wines VIGNO Carignan

Bouchon Vigno Carignan from Maule, tasting notes and winemaker interviewCarignan is undoubtedly one of the stars of Maule’s old bush vines, and VIGNO has really helped put it on the map by establishing an appellation of sorts to protect these old vines and the growers that depend on them. Bouchon Family Wines is part of VIGNO, in fact Julio Bouchon is President of the association, and this wine is an excellent example of the finesse that old vine Carignan can have.

With hypnotic notes of blackcurrant and roses with an undercurrent of earthy, game aromas, this is a complex wine. Even after four years in bottle, the acidity is still really fresh and bright, which perfectly frames the spicy tannins and juicy finish. A wine for rich stews.

  • Maule, Cauquenes
  • 100% Carignan
  • Winemaker: Christian Sepúlveda, Bouchon Family Wines
  • Winemaking: 12 months in large foudre, and at least a year in bottle
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Guide to vintage 2020 in Chile
Chile FeaturesChile Wine GuideWine

Chile Vintage 2020 Report: A 2020 harvest no-one will forget

by Amanda Barnes
written by Amanda Barnes

The Chile Vintage 2020 will be a harvest no-one will ever forget, not only due to an extremely early and hot season that was made especially challenging because of the ongoing drought, but also because it was impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic that broke out towards the end of harvest.

“This vintage is definitely one we will all remember,” says Emily Faulconer of Viña Carmen, who makes wine with grapes from all over Chile. “To start, it was marked by the very serious drought and a warmer winter than usual, which meant much earlier flowering in most vineyards. A hot year like this can be very challenging in terms of organisation, as the window for harvest is much smaller and more complex and you are harvesting red and white varieties at the same time. But in this case, it was a blessing in disguise – although we didn’t know at the time that we were about to face the Coronavirus pandemic – because it meant that most of our harvest was done by the time quarantine started.”

Harvest dates were brought forward by between a week and month in some valleys, meaning that most producers had brought in the vast majority of their grapes by late March when curfew and quarantine restrictions came in.

The earlier harvest was also aided by the decreased yields; there was a widespread reduction of between 20% and 30% caused by a combination of drought conditions, hot temperatures and significant losses from a bout of ferocious frost events in September, October and November — with several nights dropping below 0˚C each month in many regions of the Central Valley.

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