July 01, 2019
Major País Love

Image from VinePair, published July 1, 2019

VinePair is showing some major love for País this summer, and we are all about it. Check out their article about some of the killer old vine wines from South America, including the folks at Cara Sur and Gonzalez Bastias: Low-Intervention Winemaking Is Giving this Ancient Grape a Modern Boost

Roll call! País at Cream:

Old World plantings may have put Chile and Argentina on the map for mainstream wine sales, but it is the centuries-old, dry farmed, often ungrafted Criolla vines and granitic soils in the Secano Interior’s Bío-Bío and Itata that have inspired the next generation of winemakers (and cidermakers!). Many South American winemakers are at the forefront of instituting progressive, climate-conscious practices. These wine producers, like Clos des Fous and González Bastías, are committed to promoting Chile’s rich history of a long neglected and local farming community, along with investing in the country’s future, though practicing sustainable winemaking techniques.

País, low-maintenance in the field but difficult in the cellar, proves to be a perfect grape for low-intervention practices, including carbonic maceration. Take Pipeño - light, fresh, and fruit driven, dismissed in the era of Bordeaux as the poor man’s wine, but now gaining traction in the global market as Chile’s Beaujolais Nouveau. At Vina Maitia in the Maule Valley, Old World trained Frenchman David Marcel put his Pipeño in beer bottles, emphasizing the wine’s easy drinking nature, with all the bright, fruity notes that the world loves in French glou glou.

We are excited to work with Brazos to showcase exemplary, sustainable wines coming from Chile and Argentina. We’re stocked up on a bunch of great País, with more on the way this summer!

Gonzalez Bastias Matorral 100% Pais from 200 yr old vines made completely traditionally and by hand. The vineyard is farmed without irrigation or the use of machines and according to biodynamic principles. Sweet notes of plum, almonds, anise, and brown sugar show on the nose with hints of pineapple sage, pine nettles, and and brown sugar lead to a smooth, nicely balanced palate. Plus, check out their Orange - new drop!

Vina Maitia Aupa Pipeno Pipeño is an old style of Chilean wine that was produced in a simple manner and meant to be enjoyed by farmers. While pipeño historically has a reputation as a quaff some folks drink like water, David Marcel and Loreto Garau, owners and operators of Viña Maitia, believe pipeño is a Chilean wine tradition worth preserving. This fruit driven, easy drinking wine has fresh acid and low tannin. It’s a perfect summertime red that can be enjoyed with a range of casual fare (including seafood) throughout the evening. Serve chilled. 2018 arriving in a few weeks!

Vina Maitia Itzal 100% old vine Pais. Plum, currant, red fruits, and toasted pine nuts dance around notes of dried herbs, a saline quality, and wet soil on the nose. The palate shows red fruit and crushed dried leaves held up by a good structure of tannin and acid.

Clos des Fous PMG Assemblage “Pour Ma Gueule” is a term commonly used by French vintners which translates to “For my gob” and usually refers to a stash of wine determined too good to sell to the public and reserved for the winemakers’ personal consumption. Notes of red berries, black cherry and pepper, with bright acidity and fine tanins.