2022 Cinsault Soothsayer, Garage Wine Company
Itata Valley, Chile
The Itata Oracle
This is Chilean Cinsault with brightness, wild charm and a beautifully earthy pulse. From dry-farmed old-vine fruit in the Secano Interior of Itata, it opens with dark plum, red cherry, redcurrant and rosehip, before cedar, wet earth, dried herbs, spice and a little smoky mineral edge begin to rise. It feels vivid and handmade, with fruit from multiple small parcels brought together in one single ferment.
The palate is medium-bodied, sappy and full of energy, with juicy red fruit, orange zest, fine tannins and stony acidity pulling everything into a long, mouth-watering finish. It has plenty of fruit, but the real pleasure is in the texture: rustic, bright, sinewy and quietly electric.
For when you want a red with old-vine soul, freshness and Chilean wildness.
Pairs with lamb kofta, roast chicken, charcuterie, grilled aubergine, mushroom tacos, pork belly, lentils, or pizza with smoky peppers.
If this wine were… a prediction, it would be whispered over warm granite at dusk, full of plum, cedar, rose petals and something just about to happen.
Garage Wine Company began quite literally in Pilar and Derek’s garage, before growing into one of Chile’s most respected small-scale producers. Working with old, dry-farmed vineyards and small growers across Maule and Itata, the team focuses on hand-farmed parcels, native yeasts, manual punch downs and basket pressing. Their wines feel artisanal in the best sense: low-intervention, community-rooted and full of place.
Whats in the bottle
100% Cinsault
Notable Awards
94 Points - Alistair Cooper MW,
91 Points - Tim Atkin MW