De Martino Viejas Tinajas Muscat 2015
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Moscatel Viejas Tinajas is white with a long skin contact in old amphorae, unearthing the old methods of Itata. 2015 was a warmer year throughout Chile, and the south was no exception, but they also had more rain. It was fermented in the amphorae, where it spent six months in contact with the skins (but without stems), then was racked and put back in the amphorae for a further six months. In 2015 they did not use any added sulfur at all. This has an incredible nose, almost salty, and reminded me of food. It's very aromatic, but the varietal notes are very subtle, some flowers and quince, but mixed with a faint note of charcuterie. The palate is a lot more elegant and polished, with the tannins extracted from the skins, a lot finer than in previous vintages. Skin contact can produce too drying wines, and this is not the case. 4,910 bottles were filled in April 2016.
Other Vintages
2013-
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Founded in Isla de Maipo (Chile), since 1934 the De Martino family has specialised in producing wines that reflect their origin and the character of each vineyard, based on solid principles of sustainable farming and traditional winemaking techniques. Today, the winery brings together the experience of the third generation of the family - represented by Pietro, Marco and Remo De Martino- with the dynamism and vision of Marco Antonio and Sebastián De Martino, the fourth generation. De Martino labelled and exported Chile’s first Carmenere in 1996 and was a pioneer winery working century-old vineyards in the Itata Valley, incorporating old winemaking techniques that set a precedent in South America.
On De Martino's tours, you can taste wines from Chile’s very diverse regions, try one of the world's best Carmenere wines and see the exciting process of wine creation. Just one hour from Santiago, a bilingual guide will explain the whole process of making our wines in a tour that starts with the work in the vineyards and goes through to bottling and ageing. You will also be able to find out about our innovative winemaking techniques in amphorae and foudres, methods that are unrivalled in Chile’s wine industry. This is the ideal opportunity to discover the best and most varied range produced in Chile.
While Muscat comes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, still to sparkling and even fortified, it's safe to say it is always alluringly aromatic and delightful. The two most important versions are the noble, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, making wines of considerable quality and Muscat of Alexandria, thought to be a progeny of the former. Somm Secret—Pliny the Elder wrote in the 13th century of a sweet, perfumed grape variety so attractive to bees that he referred to it as uva apiana, or “grape of the bees.” Most likely, he was describing Muscat.
Dramatic geographic and climatic changes from west to east make Chile an exciting frontier for wines of all styles. Chile’s entire western border is Pacific coastline, its center is composed of warm valleys and on its eastern border, are the soaring Andes Mountains.
Chile’s central valleys, sheltered by the costal ranges, and in some parts climbing the eastern slopes of the Andes, remain relatively warm and dry. The conditions are ideal for producing concentrated, full-bodied, aromatic reds rich in black and red fruits. The eponymous Aconcagua Valley—hot and dry—is home to intense red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.
The Maipo, Rapel, Curicó and Maule Valleys specialize in Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends as well as Carmenère, Chile’s unofficial signature grape.
Chilly breezes from the Antarctic Humboldt Current allow the coastal regions of Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley to focus on the cool climate loving varieties, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Chile’s Coquimbo region in the far north, containing the Elqui and Limari Valleys, historically focused solely on Pisco production. But here the minimal rainfall, intense sunlight and chilly ocean breezes allow success with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The up-and-coming southern regions of Bio Bio and Itata in the south make excellent Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Spanish settlers, Juan Jufre and Diego Garcia de Cáceres, most likely brought Vitis vinifera (Europe’s wine producing vine species) to the Central Valley of Chile sometime in the 1550s. One fun fact about Chile is that its natural geographical borders have allowed it to avoid phylloxera and as a result, vines are often planted on their own rootstock rather than grafted.