Get your tastebuds ready for a unique and lively take on "old world" traditions! Chile's Garage Wine Co. makes wines of freshness, a sense of where they came from and resonate with food. The winery really did start in a garage, a popular place for small producers to challenge the idea that worthwhile wines can only be made by grand estates with grand budgets.
Started in 2003 by Derek Mossman Knapp, Pilar Miranda and Alvaro Pena, they were driven to revive old vineyards and display Chile's character in a more transparent fashion. These true terroir wines come from various small plots along Chile's coastal mountain range in the more southerly Maule region, and higher altitude sites in the central Maipo Valley. Today, the Garage Wine Co. owns about a third of these plots, but they have been happy working with the small farmers who own the rest, paying a fair price for their efforts in producing better grapes. While they work with very familiar varieties, as well as Pais (aka Mission) whose presence here goes back to the 1500s, they make their wines to display the region's personal style rather than try to replicate what people are used to elsewhere.
These are also wines on the 'natural' side of the spectrum, showing plenty of savory, earthy elements complementing the crisp fruit and floral characters: fermented with native yeast, the skins are manually punched down in small batches (sometimes first crushed by foot), then pressed in an old-fashioned basket press, age in older barrels to avoid covering the fruit, and add only small amounts of sulfites after fermentations are done. The farming traditions here are mostly intact: they and their sources practice organic or sustainable farming without irrigation, involving local farmers and workers who know the vineyards well, and who often use horses to plow. Even the source of the recycled bottles, the paint for labeling and wax sealing are all a result of finding local solutions for their needs.
The wines will really pop when served at a cool 60-62F, and all benefit from aeration, so decant and give them some time in the glass.
"A spicy yet very fresh cabernet franc with redcurrants, savory dried herbs and hints of ash, charcoal and cumin. This is juicy, tight and bright with nicely chewy tannins and a subtle, berry-flavored finish." - JAMES SUCKLING
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The change in the wine has resulted in a 2019 Las Higueras Vineyard bottled in a lighter Burgundy shaped bottle to reflect the new profile, after they worked over five years to revive the old vines that "had been overstressed for many years... The life in soil is more full of life/microbes and with cover crops that retain moisture better..." The 2019 seems to reflect a warmer and drier year, possibly with a shorter cycle... with time it blossomed and didn't stop changing in the glass; after a couple of hours, it was simply spectacular. It has similar parameters as the 2018, but ultimately there is an extra spark of acidity here. 5,500 bottles were filled in January 2020."
Started in 2003 by Derek Mossman Knapp, Pilar Miranda and Alvaro Pena, they were driven to revive old vineyards and display Chile's character in a more transparent fashion. These true terroir wines come from various small plots along Chile's coastal mountain range in the more southerly Maule region, and higher altitude sites in the central Maipo Valley. Today, the Garage Wine Co. owns about a third of these plots, but they have been happy working with the small farmers who own the rest, paying a fair price for their efforts in producing better grapes. While they work with very familiar varieties, as well as Pais (aka Mission) whose presence here goes back to the 1500s, they make their wines to display the region's personal style rather than try to replicate what people are used to elsewhere.
These are also wines on the 'natural' side of the spectrum, showing plenty of savory, earthy elements complementing the crisp fruit and floral characters: fermented with native yeast, the skins are manually punched down in small batches (sometimes first crushed by foot), then pressed in an old-fashioned basket press, age in older barrels to avoid covering the fruit, and add only small amounts of sulfites after fermentations are done. The farming traditions here are mostly intact: they and their sources practice organic or sustainable farming without irrigation, involving local farmers and workers who know the vineyards well, and who often use horses to plow. Even the source of the recycled bottles, the paint for labeling and wax sealing are all a result of finding local solutions for their needs.
The wines will really pop when served at a cool 60-62F, and all benefit from aeration, so decant and give them some time in the glass.
"A spicy yet very fresh cabernet franc with redcurrants, savory dried herbs and hints of ash, charcoal and cumin. This is juicy, tight and bright with nicely chewy tannins and a subtle, berry-flavored finish." - JAMES SUCKLING
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The change in the wine has resulted in a 2019 Las Higueras Vineyard bottled in a lighter Burgundy shaped bottle to reflect the new profile, after they worked over five years to revive the old vines that "had been overstressed for many years... The life in soil is more full of life/microbes and with cover crops that retain moisture better..." The 2019 seems to reflect a warmer and drier year, possibly with a shorter cycle... with time it blossomed and didn't stop changing in the glass; after a couple of hours, it was simply spectacular. It has similar parameters as the 2018, but ultimately there is an extra spark of acidity here. 5,500 bottles were filled in January 2020."
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