L’Entremetteuse: lovely natural wines from a French expat in Colchagua, Chile
Website: https://lentremetteuseandco.cl/
French expat Laurence Réal studied in Montpellier and then moved to Chile 32 years ago. She’s been working with big wine companies, but in 2015 she started here own project in Colchagua, making small production wines naturally. She and her husband Pablo Bastias own some País vines, but for everything else she buys grapes, their goal is to build a map of Colchagua’s terroirs. ‘There’s a lot of variety here,’ says Laurence. ‘We have a chance to make wine a good way.’
‘We want to show something very different, but also traditional, to change the image of Colchagua a bit which can be a bit industrial,’ she says. Laurence was the first in Chile to make PetNat, and all the disgorgement is by hand.
L’Entremetteuse Las Socias Pet Nat 2023 Colchagua, Chile
13.3% alcohol. Marsanne Roussanne Co-fermentation from the southwest of the valley, Lolol, 20 km from the coast. This is great for these varieties and Chardonnay. Yellow gold in colour. Rich, fruity and bold with melon, pear and apricot fruit, as well as some slight saltiness. Rich, honeyed, subtly toasty. Ripe and delicious. This is really distinctive and very interesting, capturing the richness of these Rhône varieties. 92/100
L’Entremetteuse La Cuica Pet Nat Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2023 Colchagua, Chile
Pinot from the coast, Chardonnay from centre of the valley, fermented together after 2 days on skins. Disgorged. Very fruity and appealing with sweet cherries and strawberries and a hint of almond. Juicy and bright, with nice fruit focus. This is stylish and delicious. 91/100
L’Entremetteuse Rouge-Gorge Pinot Noir 2023 Colchagua, Chile
11.5% alcohol. No sulfites added, whole bunch, aged in stainless steel. Lovely cherry fruit nose with some nice hints of damson, pepper, dried herbs and meatiness. The palate is fresh with lovely complexity, showing appealing red cherry fruit with a touch of sour cherry and wild strawberry. A lovely Pinot Noir, with lovely personality. 94/100
L’Entremetteuse A 2025 Colchagua, Chile
This is 100% Viognier this year, although other years it could be a blend. 30 ppm sulfites total, not filtered (none of the wines are filtered). A blend of amphora (tava, four months whole bunch 50% and 50% destemmed), then 500 litre new oak and 500 litre old barrels. This is so textured and detailed with some peach, apricot and pear. There’s some warm spiciness, but there’s also a bit of grip. Such a textured, complex wine with layers and layers of flavour, finishing spicy and long. This is remarkable. 95/100
L’Entremetteuse Four Skins Vol 5 2022 Colchagua, Chile
Rousanne, Marsanne, Viognier (co-fermented on skins) and then Semillon fermented on skins. Hence the four skins. Then goes to old barrels for 8 months, then stainless steel. Crown cap. No added sulfites. Cloudy full yellow colour. Honey, wax on the nose with some pear and apple. The palate is waxy and complex with good acidity, a hint of mint and incense, some smoky hints, and some tannin. Intense, boldly flavoured, finishing with a bitter twist. Even some Campari in the mix. 93/100
This is a series showing the traditional varieties of Chile with roses on the label.
L’Entremetteuse L’Épine de la Rose Pais Carmenere 2022 Colchagua, Chile
13.8% alcohol. País and Carmenère co-fermented, harvested in May. Carmenere is hand destemmed. NAS. This is structured and quite powerful with rich, bold blackberry and cherry fruit, with some nice tannins adding freshness and structure. Vivid with a sour cherry edge. This has structure plus drinkability. 92/100
L’Entremetteuse La Rouge de la Liberté NV Colchagua, Chile
14.5% alcohol. Blend of 2021 and 2022, and it’s a selection of the best wines kept in old barrels. Low sulfites (40 ppm total). Carmenere and Grenache. Powerful and bold with some spicy structure and nice concentration, showing nice development, finishing grippy. This works really well. There’s depth and richness, but it stays fresh and grippy. 92/100
L’Entremetteuse L’Entremetteuse E 2018 Colchagua, Chile
Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah. This is all hand destemmed, Bordelaise-style fermentation, all aged in barrel, one third new, low sulfites. Classic in style with blackberries and blackcurrants, showing nice openness and ripeness. Hints of gravel and chalk with nice tannins. Harmonious and quite delicious. 93/100
L’Entremetteuse L’Épine de la Rose Blanc Torrontel Pet Nat 2024 Colchagua, Chile
Disgorged. Some skin contact. This has lovely weight and volume. It’s fruity and delicious, and floral and grapey, with a nice brightness but also some depth. This is so fruity and expressive with a sense of deliciousness, finishing with just a twist of bitterness that works well. 92/100
UK agent: Vinos Latinos
