The Itata Valley, in southern Chile, has emerged in recent years as the source of some of Chile’s most interesting wines from small, ecologically sustainable winemakers. Being to the south of Chile’s main winegrowing area in the Central Valley, Itata’s climate tends to be cooler. Grape varieties such as carignan, país, and cinsault have quietly thrived there for a century or more. Clos des Fous is the project of four friends—Pedro Parra, Francois Massoc, Paco Leyton and Albert Cussen—who brought together their international wealth of winemaking experience to produce wines from what they call “extreme terroir.” Their aim is to highlight unique vineyard sites and to intervene as little as possible in the winemaking process.
This rosé of cinsault comes from vines grown at an altitude of 480ft. in soils of red granite. It sees four hours of skin contact before pressing, fermentation, and eight months of aging in stainless steel. Strawberry on the nose and peach on the palate lead to a pink grapefruit finish. Sustainably grown.
