Garage Wine Co Portezuelo Vineyard

Garage Wine Co Portezuelo Vineyard Carignan Field-Blend

WHY WE LOVE IT

  • This wine is a tribute to the resilience of the ploughmen farmers of the Secano Interior who have been stewards of the vines since colonial times.
  • Portezuelo was the site of the first winery in Chile.
  • This wine was grown by a small farmer in Itata Valley. It was farmed by hand and horse with traditional methods of dry-farming old vines with vines of Cinsault in the field-blend.

Varietal Composition: Mostly Carignan, a little bit of Cinsault, and a touch of Cariñena

Elaboration: It was fermented naturally with native yeasts in small tanks with open-tops. Portezuelo wine from previous vintage is added to a pie de cuba. Caps were punched down by hand and pressing was strictly manual. .Barrel-aged two winters in French Barrels (Sylvain, Berger, Nadalie – Alliers Noisette toast, and some Burgundy barrel) 2 + uses – no new wood)

Tasting Notes: “This is always very balsamic, and in this vintage, it feels super varietal, with the tree bark-like rusticity of the Cariñena and a slightly dusty personality. After some time in the glass, it takes off with lots of aromatic herbs and even flowers.” – Wine Advocate

PRESS

2014 – 93 Wine Advocate

2015 – 93+ Wine Advocate

2017 – 93 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.