Montsecano

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Country of Origin: Chile
Location: Casablanca Valley
People: Julio Donoso & André Ostertag, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Practicing Biodynamic

Items

Montsecano 2018 Estate Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley Login WA 95 <1 Case
Montsecano 2020 Estate Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley Login — On Order
Montsecano 2021 Pinot Noir, Refugio Vineyard, Casablanca Login — In Stock

Media Links
Sommeliers International: An Art-House Wine from the Other Side of the World

Social Media
Montsecano Facebook

Montsecano is a collaboration between Julio Donoso of Chile and André Ostertag of Domaine Ostertag in Alsace. Julio Donoso, a famous fashion photographer, met André in the early 90s while shooting a story on him. Friends for many years, Julio convinced André to travel to Chile and see his family's property. For André, it was love at first sight. It has been said that he even teared a little while viewing the property. André joined forces with Julio immediately after the trip.

Montsecano is a biodynamic estate consisting of two hillside, granitic, small vineyards in the Casablanca Valley. A minimal approach is used in the horse-plowed vineyard and winery. The wines are made exclusively in stainless steel micro tanks or concrete egg fermenters. No oak is used. The small production consists of two Pinot Noirs, which are quickly being recognized as the benchmark for South American Pinot.

Montsecano is a member of Chanchos Deslenguados.

Wine Advocate 4/2017
"Montsecano is the name of the Pinot Noir-based project in Casablanca of Alsace's André Ostertag and his Chilean friends. They produce some of the variety's best wines in Chile. 2016 is the first year when André had the help of his son, Arthur, who brought some new ideas, like the use of some 20% full clusters and the use of two or three pressings. In that challenging year they were able to harvest all the grapes before the rains. It has to be one of the best vintages of Montsecano."

Reviews

  • Montsecano 2018 Estate Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 95 (2/28/2020)
    According to Julio Donoso, the 2018 Montsecano, the first vintage vinified by Derain, "continues the Montsecano style, following the path marked by Ostertag, but we vinified a little earlier and macerations were shorter." 2018 was a very good and cool vintage, and that certainly helped to have a fresher wine, produced from their five hectares of dry-farmed vines that were planted between 2006 and 2010 in the village of Las Dichas in Casablanca. The wine ferments and matures in concrete eggs until bottling. It has a moderate 12% alcohol, reflecting the character of the year and the earlier picking, with red acid berry aromas, a floral touch and more depth and complexity than the Refugio from this same year. It's subtle, has detail and elegance and is clean and focused, with very fine tannins and a very balanced palate with integrated acidity. It's harmonious and elegant. This is slightly different from the 2017 but equally excellent.