J. Bouchon

Wine Info

Region: Maule, Valle Central, Chile

Grapes: País 100%

ABV: 12%

Winemaker: Julio Bouchon

Viticulture: Organic, dry farmed old vine País

Winemaking: 2 weeks skin maceration, 6 months settling/aging in concrete tanks

“Crunchy red fruit, epitomized”

I had the chance to travel to Chile last December, and I was pretty impressed with the country at large. Chile has been making wine for hundreds of years. The styles of wine that are most well-known from Chile are the classic reds and whites: zingy Sauvignon Blanc, big chocolatey Cabernet Sauvignon, and herbal, fruity Carmenère. These wines are made in a consumer-friendly, technologically clean style, and have colonized grocery store shelves around the world with aggressively competitive prices.

Chile wasn’t always focused on French grapes. When Spanish missionaries and explorers first planted grapes in Chile, they brought the Listán Negro grape with them. This grape also goes by the name of País, and sometimes Mission. You can follow the path of Spanish explorers by following where the País grape is planted. Sure enough, the Canary Islands, one of the first stopovers for colonial explorers, is still planted with the grape to this day. You’ll find it in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and also California.

For a long time, Chile made light, rustic, funky reds from País. Before people demanded their wines to be big, impressive and international, this was the wine that Chilean paisanos drank. In an effort to understand their past and recover some of the ancient 100 year-old vineyards around the Maule region, modern winemakers are making wines in the historical fashion. These wines aren’t extracted to be sleek fruit bombs. Instead, they are rustic and pale in color, with loads of savory character.

J. Bouchon is a winery founded in the 1880s. Many of the vines that produce this wine were planted in that time period as well. This wine signals the rebirth of countryside Chilean wine. Not all wines need to be big fruit bombs aged in 100% new French oak. This rustic, fun little wine is about a place, a grape, and a tradition.

Savory character is one thing this País Viejo excels at. You can even tell it’s grown near eucalyptus trees, too. There’s a beautiful minty, herbal character on the nose, with fresh red raspberry fruit. Rose petal and fennel seed notes spring forth. On the palate, see why we call this wine rustic. There’s fruit, sure, but also some chunky, peppery tannins. They don’t last forever though, and that’s what brings you back for another sip. Drink this wine with a slight chill.