Granito Pais Old Vines 2022

Granito project came about during the pandemic while chatting with Marcelo Retamal as he exited De Martino to focus his attention on Viñedos de Alcohuaz and launching his eponymous project, RETA. While some might refer to this pivot as a retirement, Reta shows no signs of slowing down managing vineyards from Maule to the Atacama while also spending his “winters” in Spain working on a project in the Sierra de Gredos. So when we brought up País having become enamored with the lithe and minera-driven Listán Negro from Rofe in Lanzarote, Reta had already scouted out a País vineyard for us. Situated in Itata and facing the cooling influence of the Pacific a scant 20km away, these are fairly young vines of País, being only 100 years or so old. Planted on its own roots in sandy soils weathered from quartz and white granite, Reta saw in these vines the rare opportunity for concentration and liveliness where the charming freshness and rusticity of País would benefit from a long growing season without excess alcohol.

Bollén is an evergreen shrub native to central Chile that flowers concurrently with Chile’s vineyards. Hearty and adapted to the same conditions as grape vines, Bollén greeted Spanish missionaries who settled in the Itata Valley in 1551 when they first planted País as an heirloom reminder of home. Selected by Marcelo Retamal and Eric Solomon in honor of Chile’s viticultural past, Granito comes from a single vineyard of País grown on granitic soils a scant 20km from the Pacific Ocean.

Producer: Granite Project

Country: Chile

Region: Itata Valley

Varietal: País

Appellation: Granito

Vintage: 2022

Size: 750ml