Staff Notes:
“The star here is the País, which he calls 2016 Huaso de Sauzal Chilena, from grapes picked later than usual, as there was rain during March and April. All of the wines here ferment in traditional raulí wood casks. The vines are extremely old—they don't know how old—ungrafted and head-pruned in the Secano Interior traditional zone of Chile, where viticulture was without irrigation. It ferments with indigenous yeasts, without temperature control or any intervention, and the wine matures in well-seasoned, neutral oak barrels for 12 months before bottling. It's an aromatic and delicious País, with great perfume and character, mixing flowers and herbs, some spices and an earthy nuance with a volatile touch. The variety has some rustic tannins that need some food. This is possibly the best Chilena from Cancino so far. This is always among my favorite País from Chile. 11,000 bottles produced. Like the rest of the 2016s, it was bottled in February 2017. I met with Renán Cancino, the man behind El Viejo Almacén de Sauzal, in Madrid to taste the 2016s, as he was on a trip to Europe. He works nine hectares of old vines in Sauzal and Truquilemu in Maule that are planted with Cariñena, Garnacha and País. He produces some 22,000 bottles per vintage. 2016 was a rainy year, with moderate yields, good concentration, lower alcohol and very good acidity—wines with nice balance. Great wines with the peasant character of the place. The País, which he calls Chilena, is among the best in the country.” 93+ Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate