{"product_id":"2020-clos-des-fous-grillos-cantores-alto-cachapoal-cabernet-sauvignon-liberty","title":"2020 Clos des Fous, `Grillos Cantores` Alto Cachapoal Cabernet Sauvignon - Liberty","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"MuiPaper-root MuiAccordion-root accordion_accordion__I9cut accordion_producer__roSqQ Mui-expanded MuiAccordion-rounded MuiPaper-elevation1 MuiPaper-rounded\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-root MuiCollapse-entered\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-wrapperInner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv role=\"region\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiAccordionDetails-root accordion_producerAccordion__OujSI\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eA midnight tasting in Chile in 2011 was our first encounter with the ‘Fous’ (‘crazy men’) when Alberto Antonini introduced us to Pedro Parra, with whom he works closely at several of South America’s top estates. Pedro now makes wines under his own label but was originally one of the four ‘Fous’, alongside winemakers François Massoc and Paco Leyton, as well as Albert Cussen who looks after the business. The name ‘Clos des Fous’ is an ode to the 12 years Pedro and François spent studying and working in Burgundy, as well as to what their peers describe as their ‘craziness’ in crossing the traditional Chilean vineyard boundaries to source grapes from more extreme conditions further south and east.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eThe Chardonnay ‘Locura 1’ is sourced from the region of Malleco, one of the southernmost wine-growing sub-regions in Chile. Although once considered too southerly for winemaking, the cold conditions and sandy and rocky soils have increasingly attracted top producers looking to make expressive, cool-climate wines with steely acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eThe Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a single vineyard called ‘Grillos Cantores’ (or ‘singing crickets’) in the Alto Cachapoal, just six kilometres from the Andes mountains. The decaying granite and volcanic rocks present in the soil here provide the resulting wine with a distinct mineral character, soft tannins and good levels of balancing acidity. Perhaps their most original wines are the red blends: ‘Cauquenina’ and ‘Pour Ma Gueule’ (meaning ‘for my gob’). These blends change from vintage to vintage and include varying amounts of Carignan, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cinsault, Carmenère and País to achieve a complex, fluid, modern red blend. ‘Cauquenina’ has some degree of oak influence with 20% of the blend going into new oak, whereas ‘Pour Ma Gueule’ has no new oak influence and is meant for drinking young.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClos des Fous has 19 hectares of vineyards in total, which are supplemented by fruit from selected growers. Pedro Parra's key aim was to move plantings away from the fertile plains and up the slopes into the Andean and Coastal ranges, where the rockier soils result in lower vine vigour and deeper roots, which he believes gives better balance and more finesse to the wines. The Grillos Cantores vineyard is located in the Alto Cachapoal DO. This sits at the foot of the Andes, experiencing very cold nights with significant temperature fluctuations. The soils are composed of alluvial deposits, limestone and granite gravel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe 2020 vintage was characterised by low rainfall throughout the winter. Summer was cool, as usual and there was very low availability of water for irrigation due to low rainfall, meaning that maturation of the fruit occurred slowly, and berries were smaller in size. A reduction in yields was noted, but the quality of the grapes was high due to better ventilation of bunches, sun exposure, and more uniform ripening.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe grapes were destemmed without crushing and underwent cold maceration for five to seven days with the temperature gradually increasing as the fermentation took place. Gentle punch-downs of the cap took place as required to extract colour and tannin. The total process, including a post-fermentation maceration, took approximately four weeks. The wine was aged partially in wood and partially in cement vessels for 18 months.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eBeautiful ruby red colour, with an intense nose of red fruits and black cherries. Hints of spice, black pepper and green tea develop in the glass. On the palate, the wine is silky, generous and broad, with soft tannins. Its excellent acidity is supported by subtle minerality and an elegant finish.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Wine Tasting Adventure","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56593211851130,"sku":null,"price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0527\/4297\/9770\/files\/ClosdesFousGrillosCantoresCabSauvignonFS__250x500_4809e8ce-56e2-4542-8fda-2669843b7e30.jpg?v=1771248407","url":"https:\/\/www.wine-ta.co.uk\/products\/2020-clos-des-fous-grillos-cantores-alto-cachapoal-cabernet-sauvignon-liberty","provider":"Wine Tasting Adventure","version":"1.0","type":"link"}