Almaule: a collective brand focusing on old vine País from Maule, Chile
Website: https://almaule.cl/
Almaule is a collaborative venture, similar to VIGNO, but focusing on old vine País from the Maule region in Chile. Like VIGNO (which focuses on old vine Carignan), Almaule is a shared brand that takes prominence on the label, and currently six producers are making it. The name comes from Alma Maule, which translates as the soul of Maule.
These wines are all made from dry-farmed País that is at least 30 years old, from the Secano Interior. The project was started to preserve the living patrimony of País through a collective brand that small producers can use to help sell their wines. The idea is to keep the alcohol at a maximum of 12.5%, making País that is fresh and interesting for new consumers. None see any wood, and the idea is for them to be affordable, to bring País back to the table, and bring in as many producers as possible.
This tasting was of five of the six producers making these wines, with only the Coop of Loncamilla missing. Javier Rousseau from Erasmo presented the wines.
THE WINES
Gillmore Almaule 2021 Maule, Chile
Very pale in colour. Lovely cherry fruit with some silkiness. This is a nice fresh style with wild strawberry, red cherry and a bit of grip on the finish. Nice brightness here: a lovely wine. 92/100
La Veletas Almaule 2021 Maule, Chile
Juicy and lively with cherry and raspberry fruit as well as some brightness, showing a lovely juicy quality. Some grip here with lovely brightness and good intensity. 92/100
Bouchon Almaule 2021 Maule, Chile
Deeply coloured with sweet aromatic cherry and plum fruit. Slightly jammy sweet fruit here with some nice texture and a touch of raspberry brightness on the palate. Shows freshness as well as ripeness. 91/100
Erasmo Almaule 2021 Maule, Chile
Sweetly aromatic and showing strawberry and raspberry fruit. There’s a nice savoury, grippy quality here with some stony notes. Lovely stuff showing nice precision: really expressive. 92/100
Garage Wine Co Almaule 2021 Maule, Chile
Direct with vivid raspberry fruit and good acidity. It’s very focused with lovely balance. Bright, vivid and drinkable. Nice intensity. 93/100
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