Laberinto 2019 'Cenizas' Mezcla Tinta (Red Blend), Colbun

Item Number: 20048

UPC: 7-804632830003

Country: Chile
Region: Central Valley
Sub Region: Maule
Appellation/AVA: Colbun
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2019
Grape(s): 65% Merlot / 25% Cabernet Franc / 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 14
Residual Sugar(g/L): 1.67
Total Acidity: 5.29
pH: 3.63
Viticulture: Regenerative
Soil Type: Volcanic
Elevation: 1,800 ft

Vineyard Notes: This manually harvested, estate blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is from vines that Rafael Tirado planted himself in 1993. The vineyard is planted to volcanic soils in the foothills of the Andes, on the slopes above Lake Colbun. These Andean soils were formed from volcanic ash ('ceniza') accumulated over thousands of years. The specific vineyards used for this wine are in an area of gentle hillsides, with a northern exposure facing the lake, which provides greater warmth to these grapes. The soils are more granitic and with strong presence of the Andean Mountain mother rock. Laberinto practices both regenerative and organic viticulture. Rafael also plays with different exposures in his vineyards, in a desire to achieve a complexity in the wines.

Vintage Notes: 2019 was a cold season with 780 mm of rainfall between winter and spring. Overall vine yields were very low, with small clusters and highly concentrated grapes.

Winemaking Notes: Grapes were harvested by hand and fermented with native yeasts. Maceration lasted between 22-25 days with 15% stem inclusion. The wine was aged in used 400-liter French barrels for 14 months, and then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: The palate is full-bodied with lavish ripe black cherries, blackberries, blueberry and cassis fruit that coat the mouth. Hints of eucalyptus and violets lead to a structured yet smooth finish with subtle hints of oak; succulent fruit with good grip.

Reviews

  • The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 92+ (4/6/2023)
    The 2019 Cenizas de Laberinto Mezcla Tinta, cropped from a cold year in the zone, was produced with a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, fermented in concrete and matured in 400-liter French oak barrels for 12 months. It has 14% alcohol and retained good freshness and acidity. It's very austere and Bordeaux-like, a cool-climate red, with better integrated oak. Tirado has abandoned 225-liter barrels, and the wines feel younger and livelier. 8,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021.