MontGras Handcrafted

There was one new project that really stood out to me due to its innovation and passion for experimentation – MontGras Handcrafted Series. Each of the MontGras winemakers was tasked with making a wine; they were given total autonomy – almost! The idea was to allow the winemakers to craft wines with complete freedom, with no restriction on origin, grape, or winemaking. Yet, with one condition: they had to choose varieties and origins that weren’t necessarily traditional in Chile, and they also had to experiment with different and less traditional winemaking techniques. What I really like about this is seeing the winemakers really pushing the boundaries and approaching wines in different ways.

Examples of the wines in the series are the supremely drinkable yet complex Carignan from Maule, made by Carla Dosque, who explains, ‘I immediately thought of Carignan when the project was launched. I love the way Carignan grows wildly against environmental adversity. It is a tricky variety, and I wanted to demonstrate the hallmark acidity it has without it dominating.’ Alberto Antonini chose Cinsault from Itata, ‘Itata has amazing biodiversity, and Cinsault is a grape that I like very much. It is elegant and fragile and needs gentle handling. It is a grape that expresses terroir, and here that is the ancient granitic soils of the region. It also needs soft and smooth gentle winemaking to allow it to do that, and then ageing in old wooden foudres.’ The result is delightfully pure and crystalline.

Benjamin Leiva chose Grenache from Colchagua, which was also chosen as the best Grenache in the Guide this year. It is a variety I have always wanted to see more of in Chile, and this really shows why. True to its inherent nature, this shows bright red fruits and that touch of pepper and herbal garrigue notes commonly found in its spiritual home of the Southern Rhône. Finally, we have a delicious Cabernet Franc from Linares made by Cristian Correa, who chose this as it is a variety capable of many different expressions. This example really stood out to me, as a wine with both real drinkability but still with real structure and tension. Interestingly, this was produced using carbonic maceration, and it shows real complexity. Bravo to the whole team at MontGras for such an engaging and fascinating project.

Outstanding Range - MontGras Handcrafted

94 points MontGras Handcrafted Rare Carignan
2022

94 points MontGras Handcrafted Rare Garnacha
2022

94 points MontGras Handcrafted Rare Cabernet franc
2022

93 points MontGras Handcrafted Rare Cinsault
2023