Tierra Madre Gonzalez Bastias Chile 2019

Description

The Maule region of Chile, similarly to Itata, has a very different feel to the winegrowing regions of the Central Valley. Here we can still find very old vines (200+ years old!) planted on their own rootstocks. Being relatively close to the Pacific Ocean, the climate is influenced by its proximity, having a tempering and cooling effect on the vineyards. 

González Bastías is the name of their town on the river Maule as well as the name chosen by José Luis Gómez Bastías and his wife Daniela Lorenzo Bürger to name their project. They farm, uncertified following organic and biodynamic methods, 4 hectares of vineyards with the oldest planted in the 1800s by José Luis' family. Soils are sedimentary over granitic bedrock and the main varieties they work with are País (aka Listán Prieto in Spain, Criolla in Argentina and Misión in California), Moscatel and Torrontel. The grapes are manually destemmed using a zaranda, an artifact still used by artisan winemakers in the Chilean southern regions. Winemaking is as traditional as it gets: fermentation in cement, ageing in old oak or clay amphorae, no fining nor filtration, and no additions of any type, including sulphites.

'This is pale golden in the glass. The nose is quite intriguing and offers subtle yellow flowers, bell-pepper, herbal, chamomile, with a light toasty aroma. Dry on the palate with medium body & acidity, semi-aromatic with white blossom / moscatel, light skin contact texture, a perfect match with any vegetable starter.' Philglas & Swiggot