Sauzal Vineyard
Empedrado – Maule Valley
Carignan / Garnacha / Mataró
2014 – Lot #55

Carignan – 3 barrels
Garnacha – 2 barrels
Mataró  – 1 barrel

1694 bottles filled
November of 2o15

“The nose is fresh and has tantalising aromas of blueberries, violets, orange peel, raspberry leaf and aniseed with a touch of aromatic herbs that provide freshness. The palate is electric, with citric acidity, ultra-fine tannins and very good length. This is both rustic and elegant, wild and subtle. This is a superb, fresh, Mediterranean blend that shows what the Maule is capable of.”
— Luis Gutierrez

Acidity  (g / l) 7,13
pH 3,05
Residual Sugar (g / l) 2,37
Alcohol (% vol) 13,5

In a nutshell:

  • One of eleven wines from single parcels
  • Grower / partner grown by Nivaldo Morales in Sauzal
  • ancestral farming by hand and horse, with traditional methods of the Secano Costero
  • naturally fermented with native yeasts in open-top fermenters using punch-down
  • Sauzal sits on the Coastal Range of mountains (much older and slower to cool than the Andes the sub-soils have cracked granite beneath that allow roots to get deep into cracks
  • Barrel-aged two winters in French Barrels (various cooperages, 2 + uses– no new wood)

This wine was grown by a small farmer in the Maule. It was farmed by hand and horse with traditional methods of dry-farming 70+ year old vines with vines.
This wine is a tribute to the resilience of the ploughmen farmers of the Maule who have been stewards of the vines since colonial times. The 55th wine we have produced since 2001 it is thus labelled Lot # 55

T a s t i n g   N o t e s

“Fresh, broad shouldered and well-braced”

“Floral junipery nose— firm mouth like a stone fist in a velvet glove”

“Soft and velvety with hints of dark fruits and spices. Some walnut. Medium to full body, round tannins and a savoury finish. Funky old vine wine.” 
— James Suckling

C r i t i c s    N o t e s

Descorchados 2017 Patricio Tapia
Sauzal Vineyard Carignan/Garnacha/Mataró 2014 Lot #55 – 95 Pts
De aromas un tanto más maduros y algunos leves torrados. La boca es recia y jugosísima, ideal para esos cerdos cocidos a la llama por horas y horas.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate # 23o
Sauzal Vineyard Maule Valley Carignan, Garnacha & Mataró 2014  – Lot # 55 – 93 Pts
The 2014 Sauzal Vineyard is also a field blend of Carignan, Garnacha and Mataró (Monastrell) from the vineyard of Nivaldo Morales in Sauzal on degraded granite soils that allow roots to get deep into cracks. Tannins in 2015 were a little bit firmer than normal and the wines in general a little denser. Nivaldo cultivates his vineyards in an ancestral way, by hand and horse. A small portion of the grapes were kept with whole stems and stomped by feet and resulted in more tannic and slightly higher volatile acidity that complemented the rest of the barrels. It’s more powerful, with flowers, spices and something earthy, resinous even. The palate is medium to full-bodied with balance in a slightly XL way, lifted by great acidity. 1,694 bottles were produced from three barrels of Carignan, two of Garnacha and one of Mataró. It was bottled in November 2015. Drink 2017–2027 –  Luis Gutierrez
 
James Suckling .com May 25th 2017
Sauzal Vineyard Maule Valley Carignan, Garnacha & Mataró Field-blend 2014  – Lot # 55 – 93 Pts
Soulful red with juicy and earth with meat and berry. Full body and beautiful. Long and flavorful. Juicy and intense.


Notes on Previous Vintages from this parcel

 
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate #222  Dec 2015
Sauzal Vineyard Carignan/Garnacha/Mataró Field Blend 2013 Lot #45 – 94 Pts
I visited an amazing vineyard from a grower called Nivaldo Morales with Derek Mossman, an old vineyard planted mostly with País and some Carignan, and some País vines were regrafted to Garnacha, Mataró (Monastrell) and Garnacha (Grenache). The 2013 Lot #45 Carignan Garnacha Mataró Field Blend is sourced from that Sauzal vineyard in the Maule Valley. A very similar wine is also sold in the United Kingdom as The Ploughmen. The nose is fresh and has tantalizing aromas of blueberries, violets, orange peel, raspberry leaf and aniseed with a touch of aromatic herbs that provide freshness. The palate is electric, with citric acidity, ultra-fine tannins and very good length. This is both rustic and elegant, wild and subtle. None of these wines show any alcohol or wood. This is a superb, fresh, Mediterranean blend that shows what the Maule is capable of. Bravo! Around 2,500 bottles were produced.  Drink 2015 – 2021 Luis Gutierrez

Descorchados 2016 Patricio Tapia
LOT # 45 SAUZAL VINEYARD 
Carignan, Garnacha, Mataró 2013
Dominado por una acidez deliciosa, este tinto se mueve con nervio por la boca, como su tuviera su propia luz. Delicioso. 93 pts Patricio Tapia

Tim Atkin MW
Sauzal Vineyard Carignan/Garnacha/Mataró Field Blend 2014 Lot #55 – 91 Pts