Rafael Tirado purchased land in the Eastern Maule Valley in the front range of the Chilean Andes and planted his first estate vines in 1993 on volcanic ash over granite. He currently has six parcels totaling 23ha of vines. His vineyards are legally recognized to be located within the Colbun D.O. and he is currently the only producer in the D.O. Many of his vines are planted in various orientations, some of which are planted in the shape of a labyrinth. Rafael built a small gravity fed winery and geothermal barrel and bottle room on the property, and currently produces estate wines under the Laberinto and Vistalago labels.
This hand harvested, single vineyard, 100% estate Sauvignon Blanc is from vines that Rafael Tirado planted himself in 1998. This SB has a bright nose with Guava, passion fruit, and lemon leading to a mineral mid palate and soft undertones of crushed rock. The volcanic ash from the vineyard adds to this minerality and sustained finish. The Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in 100% stainless steel which leads to a very juicy and refreshing wine.
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The 2022 Cenizas de Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc is sharp and vibrant, with 12.6% alcohol, a pH of 3.04 and 8.77 grams of acidity. It was produced with grapes from vines planted in 1993 on volcanic ash soils. In 2022, Tirado macerated a bit more, looking for a little more structure. The wine didn't go through malolactic and was bottled after eight months with lees. This is sharp as a knife, with subtle aromas of meat broth and savory rather than floral or exotic, less varietal, complex, austere and mineral, with a rocky sensation. It's textured and tasty, clean, long and nuanced, fresh and balanced, with the cool sensation of the cold nights. He's worked a lot through decantation to be able to bottle the wine unfiltered, and the wine is bright and clean. It's an amazing wine, one of the finest values in Chile. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022. Experience with older vintages tells me this wine is going to develop nicely in bottle." - 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Producer: Laberinto
Country: Chile
Region: Maule Valley
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation: Colbun
Vintage: 2022
Size: 750ml
