90POINTS
16½/20
Carter Mollenhauer VIGNO Carignan 2020
Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, ChileHusband and wife team Edgard Carter and Karine Mollenhauer run their family winery in the Maule, making a few small-production wines from indigenous grapes. Their idea is to elevate the reputation of purity and authenticity of Chilean wine through organic farming, and minimal intervention in the cellar. From Truquilemu vineyard in Maule's Secano interior, this ungrafted bush vine Carignan was planted in 1950 at 225m, on granitic alluvial quartz soils. It’s a cool site that receives maritime freshness from the nearby Pacific. It was destemmed and fermented in vats, without sulphites. It aged 16 months in older 225L French barrels. Concentrated blackberry, medicinal black cherry, dark purple florals fill a compact, fleshy palate, with ample tannins stuck into the fruit. A stony freshness holds this aloft, and the welcome 13% keeps this food friendly (one for the grill). 2045 bottles.Tasted: 02 March 2023Tasted by: Treve RingPrices:ON | $53.00 | 750ml | consignment |
Grape: Carignan