Viejas Tinajas 2021

Name: De Martino - Viejas Tinajas - 2021
Brand: Vin du Monde
Price: 37.0 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

De Martino

$219.00

A pure and digestible Chilean Cinsault, aged in amphorae, highlighting the freshness and authenticity of the Itata Valley.

Chile

Vin Red

13%

1 to 5 years

100% Cinsault

750ml
Box of 6 bottles (75cl)

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Let's talk little, let's talk wine

Located in the Itata Valley, in southern Chile, the Viejas Tinajas vineyard is rooted in old hillsides near the Pacific coast, benefiting from a cool and windy climate. The vines, often goblet-trained and unirrigated, grow on poor granite soils that naturally limit yields and promote the expression of the terroir. This historic region, the cradle of Chilean viticulture, is marked by a strong oceanic influence and significant temperature variations, allowing for slow ripening of the grapes and preserving their natural freshness.

Made from old, hand-harvested País vines, this wine is produced using a traditional approach, with spontaneous fermentation by native yeasts in buried clay amphorae, without the addition of yeasts or enzymes. Maceration takes place with prolonged skin contact, then the wine continues to age in these same tinajas, without wood, in order to preserve the purity of the fruit and the most authentic expression of the terroir, with minimal intervention and very limited sulfiting at bottling.

This wine reveals notes of crisp red fruits, raspberry, and cherry, enhanced by delicate floral touches and spicy nuances reminiscent of pepper and dried herbs. A mineral and slightly earthy dimension is also perceived, typical of granite soils and amphora aging. On the palate, the texture is juicy and slender, supported by lively acidity, fine and supple tannins, and a fresh finish of medium intensity that invites further tasting.

Where are we traveling?

Maipo Valley

It is located at the gates of Santiago, the Chilean capital, stretching from the southern suburbs of the city to the foothills of the Andes Mountains to the east and the coastal range to the west. The vineyard is divided into three distinct zones — Alto Maipo at high altitude at the foot of the Andes, Maipo Central on the alluvial plains, and Maipo Costa open to Pacific influences — forming a gradient of terroirs of remarkable diversity over barely 100 kilometers. Its viticultural history dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors planted the first vines, but it was in the mid-19th century that Maipo took off, when large Chilean families — the Concha y Toros, the Cousiños, the Errázurizes — brought in Bordeaux plants and French oenologists to establish the estates that would forge the country's viticultural reputation. Chile's geographical isolation, protected by the Andes, the Pacific, and the Atacama Desert, spared the vineyard from phylloxera, and Maipo still preserves some of the oldest ungrafted vines in the New World. The climate is semi-arid Mediterranean, hot and sunny in summer, cooled by cold winds descending from the Andes each evening and by morning mists from the ocean, offering ideal thermal amplitude for slow and regular ripening. Soils range from stony alluvium carried from the Andes to calcareous clays in lower areas, as well as granitic and volcanic rocks in Alto Maipo. Maipo Valley has established itself as the cradle and absolute benchmark of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, producing powerful, structured wines of an elegance that rivals the best Bordeaux, complemented by silky and spicy Carménère — a Bordeaux grape variety that disappeared in France and was rediscovered here — deep Syrahs, and ambitious blends that have put Chile on the map of the world's greatest wines.

The little history of the country

Chile

It was Hernán Cortés who ordered the cultivation of vines upon the conquest of Mexico in 1524. It gradually spread from Mexico southward, reaching Chile in 1555. During the first three centuries of colonization, only país, a characterless and very productive black grape variety, was cultivated in Chile. It was not until the mid-19th century that noble varieties were introduced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, mainly. Twenty years later, winemaking was modernized under the impetus of wealthy landowners and French experts who had been forced out of work by phylloxera in Europe. Chile stretches 4,300 kilometers from north to south. It is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Atacama Desert to the north, and the Patagonian plains and glaciers to the south. These natural barriers prevented phylloxera from entering the country. Although the country is only 160 kilometers wide, it enjoys ideal conditions for growing grape varieties from warm, intermediate, and cool regions, so much so that it is often described as a vineyard paradise. With nearly 300 estates producing bottled wines, Chile ranks between 6th and 8th in the world.

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