Labertino Colburn Pais 'Arcillas' 2022

Laberinto “Arcillas” Colbún País 2022 - Valle del Maule, Chile

$26     Soul Wine Price $22.10

Rafael Tirado started his Laberinto estate in 1993 after a decades long career in the wine industry both domestically in Chile and abroad. He is still one Chile’s most sought after vineyard consultants. The estate is nestled in the Andean foothills in the Colbún DO of the Valle de Maule some three and a half hours south of Santiago. His 18ha of vines overlook Lago Colbún, Chile’s largest reservoir created with the damming of the Rio Maule in 1980, and he is one of the only estate producers in the DO. 

Tirado works with a diverse line up of grapes including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, Merlot and, of course, País. The alpine climate, with its cool days and cold nights, promotes high acidity and a long ripening period, and the lack of humidity keeps the vines healthy and avoids the need for any chemical applications. His eco-conscious winery is gravity fed and geothermal. 

“Arcillas” (clays) presumably refers, not to the soils of the vineyard, which are granitic crushed stones, but to the 100 year old clay amphorae used to ferment the wine. The organic País grapes come from a small, steep, north facing parcel overlooking the lake. After fermentation the wine is aged in concrete tanks and amphorae for eight months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It is medium bodied, fresh and well balanced, with red fruit, minerality, integrated tannins and an intriguing hint of spice. It will be very versatile at the table or standing around the grill, for that matter. (Chileans do love a good Parrilla, afterall.) Pair with roast or barbecued chicken, patés, mushroom risotto or chorizo hot off the grill. (Anders