Morande Cinsault Pais Valle del Maule Valley 2020
Oh man...this is going to be fun! 95 POINTS! Under $15!!! That’s right...ALL. THE. MADNESS!!!
SERIOUSLY epic, wildly complex, and uber-drinkable, with a totally, I don’t know, just incomprehensible range of flavors going on that must be experienced to be appreciated fully – but, sadly, barely enough to even send out an offer...and 95 pointers under $15 typically fly, so go load up your cart already!
Peep this, y’all...55% carignan and 45% país (we’d call that mission grape, stateside) from some head-trained, gnarly, old 60+ year vines in the Maule Valley south of Santiago in the foothills of the Andes. As we have exclaimed tirelessly from the mountaintops, this winery is getting major buzz (Google ‘em), and we think they just might be the most too-cool-for-school producer anywhere. They just go for it – embracing innovation, unique varietals, red/white blends, and myriad vessels (clay amphorae, steel tank, concrete egg, ceramic, and more...) – these folks are the cutting edge of winemaking, and man, they’re good!
SO – raspberries anyone? Lavender? Sweet and sour cherries, freshly chopped herbs, dusty truffles, with a bit of flowery rose petals and iron ore? There’s a LOT to pack in here – red currants, plums, the first two seconds of Bazooka Joe, even star jasmine...added to all the crushed rock and wet cement minerality. Like Volnay went clubbing with Chinon and met up with Cru Beaujolais at the end of the night for tacos. Basically, SO GOOD. VERY cool. A head-turner and a brain-flipper all in one! You will DIG it!
We mentioned this is FOURTEEN BUCKS, right? 95 POINTS, too? MADNESS. While it lasts!
País is a variety introduced in Chile by the Spanish conquerors during the 16th century. Cinsault was introduced in Chile during the 1940s to compensate the lack of color and structure of País. When both varieties are blended together, they give life to fresh and light wines.
Technical Details
Country: ChileRegion: Maule Valley
Appellation: Maule Valley
Varietal: Red Blends
Winemaker: Ricardo Baettig
Alcohol: 13.50%
About The Producer
When Pablo Morandé founded Viña Morandé in 1996, he did it with a great vision for the future and with the same audacity that drove him, years earlier, to be the first person to plant vines in the Casablanca Valley. Adopting this pioneering view as our own, our winery created soon after a wine range named “Aventuras” (Adventures). Our purpose was to highlight the unknown diversity of Chilean terroirs and to draw attention to the old vines planted in the vineyards of the Secano Interior (Interior Dryland) of the Maule and Itata regions. But we also aimed at using less renowned varieties that have been traditionally grown there. It may be worth remembering that, since the very beginning of Viña Morandé, the old vineyards grown in the Secano have had a special meaning for our winery. On one hand, Maule, and particularly the area of Cauquenes, is the place of birth of our founder. And on the other, our winery has developed an important viticultural work throughout the years in its different terroirs, crafting wines that have been present since the first day in our portfolio.
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