Renan Cancino is one of Chile’s most sought-after viticulturists, and while he has made his name for tending vines, his wine production under the Huaso de Sauza brand is also turning heads. Cancino is a natural winemaker whose philosophy is making wines how they were always made historically in Chile – naked. Everything is done the traditional way here: vines are worked by hand, the vineyards are worked by draft horse, and there has never been any use of irrigation or chemicals.
Cariñena is made from Carignan grafted onto free-standing País rootstock on granitic soils in the town of Sauzal. Cariñena is a rustic wine with expressive aromas of violet, rose petal, oak, smoke and mushroom. The palate is brimming with flavours of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, liquorice and anise. The finish is mouthwatering, like a mountain breeze!
“I have never seen such an artisanal and true to tradition way of making wines. The nose is a clean, focused and pure expression of the grape, with the violets and earthy, slightly rustic aromas. No sulfur is ever used at the winery, yet the wines are so clean and pure that it’s hard to believe. The palate is medium-bodied with some earthy, slightly grainy tannins and with great acidity. This is more serious, closed than the Garnacha, but at a similar, very high-quality level. Simply unbelievable. 5,000 bottles produced.” 93 Luis Gutierrez – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate