Garage Wine Co. Bagual Vineyard Carignan/Garnacha/Mataro field-blend
WHY WE LOVE IT
- This wine is a tribute to the resilience of the plowmen farmers of the Maule who have been stewards of the vines of Caliboro since colonial times.
- Sourced from some of the deepest, most personality packed vines you’ll find anywhere – the Carignan vines here were planted 75 years ago and the Garnacha and Mataró vines are grafted onto 150 year old Pais rootstock!
- This is the most perfumed, aromatic, and elegant Carignan bottling the winery produces.
- River´s edge, alluvial Bagual Vineyard is found on the banks of the Perquilauquen river. A river that (very unusual for Chile!) flows from the Coastal Mountains East towards the Andes passing through Caliboro bringing granitic silt with it.
Varietal Composition: Carignan, Garnacha, & Mataró
Elaboration: Farmed by hand and horse. Fermented naturally, caps were punched down by hand and pressing was strictly manual. The wine was barreled in neutral oak over one winters and then bottled in recycled glass. Unfined and unfiltered
Tasting Notes: This is a rich and layered red with plum and berry character, spicy, floral and subtle, it has a dark ruby color, darker than other parcels and it is earthy and organic. The palate is sinewy, with nice acidity and the fine tannins of the Garnacha, perfectly integrated oak and a very tasty finish.
PRESS
2014 – 92 Wine Advocate
2015 – 92 Wine Advocate
2016 – 94 Wine Advocate
2017 – 93 Wine Advocate
2019 – 95+ Wine Advocate | 94 James Suckling
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.