Chile Gone Rogue

Partners Leonardo Erazo, winemaker for Altos Las Hormigas, and Justin Decker, an American living in Chile make energized wines from old bush vines near the Pacific. As the label’s name suggests, this is Chile gone rogue. The wines and their labels are unconventional and thoroughly compelling, especially the Blanco.

92
Rogue Vine 2019 Grand Itata Blanco 12.5% $20
This very small production, single vineyard white - only 330 9-liter cases were made - is a blend of 45% Moscatel, 30% Riesling, 25% Semillon planted in 1922. Fermented with native yeast and no skin contact in concrete spheres then left with its lees before being bottled unfined and unfiltered, this wine breaks all sorts of winemaking conventions. 

Reeling with freshness, this wine's delicate but distinct aromas of yellow grapefruit and lychee burst out of the glass. There's even a cheeky note of grapefruit bitters and fennel seed. Pure, high-toned and bustling with zip, there's a whisper of pithiness on the moderate finish. Perfect for a hot summer day or paired with any light shellfish dish. There's enough acidic focus and medium complexity here that this might hold on nicely were a bottle forgotten in the wine cellar! 
Drink: 2020-23 

90
Rogue Vine 2018 Grand Itata Tinto 12.5% $20
Produced in slightly larger quantities - exactly 500 cases, this Cinsaut with a splash of País grows in a steep, single vineyard planted in 1960. It's only 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the Pacific. It follows the winemaking of the Blanco, though  with 5% stems during the fermentation and 21 days of skin maceration.  

Tried at 55° F (13° C) and 50° F (10° C), I much preferred this wine cooler. I also preferred it on Day 3 (2-3 ounces tried on each of the previous days then stoppered with a VacuVin and placed in the refrigerator). It was on Day 3 that the rustic, barnyard edge that was off-puttingly prevalent on the first two days somehow vanished. Today, the wine's freshness and lightness are tantalizing and very well-matched to the ripe but vibrant red flavors. Lingonberry, cranberries and rhubarb are accented by lavender and tangerine peel. The tannins are vaguely pithy but seamlessly smooth. The finish fades quickly, save that light strain of tannin, but this light red over-delivers on the immediate pleasure impact. 
Drink: 2020-22