Tinto de Rulo, Pipeño, Yumbel, Bío Bío Valley, Chile, 2020

Producer Profile

Tinto de Rulo is the project of three friends who, by pooling resources, make wine together – but even then it’s a small project, making just 1200 cases in total.

Tiny plots of Pais and Malbec, ranging from 70 to 200 years in age, are spread across Itata and Bio Bio. They have a little plot of Carignan from just over the hills in Maule as well. Fruit from these pristine organic vineyards is fermented in clay amphorae and very old native rauli pipes with only minimal sulphur added at bottling – these wines are a proper introduction to this wilder side of Chile.

Viticulture

These grapes come from vineyards in Yumbel planted on granite soils where the vines are at least 70 years old. The vines are pruned in a gobelet trellis system and all vineyard management is organic and only minute amounts of sulphur are used to prevent fungal diseases. Yumbel is located some 500 Km south of the city of Santiago, 300m above sea level, with a temperate climate, a well-defined dry season and a winter with annual rainfall of 800 mm.

Winemaking

After manual de-stemming, 50% of the juice is fermented in big lagares of old Raulí wood (Chilean oak), and 50% in Old amphoras (Clay Tanks). Fermentation is spontaneous and without the addition of commercial yeasts. The entire fermentation process lasts around three weeks, with daily manual stirring and the monitoring of temperature and density so as to unsure the wine´s integrity. When the fermentation ends, the wine is aged for 4 to 5 month in old barrels and Pipas (big barrels made of Raulí wood).

Oak Ageing

Time: 4 Months
Type: Raulí
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 100

Tasting Note

Red fruits such as Strawberry with some earthy and rustic hints sit on the nose. The palate is filled with fresh red fruits, with delicate tannins. Juicy and refreshing acidity.

Food Matching

Rillettes and saucisson, steak tartare, mushroom and ham quiche.