Granite Project, Granito Pais Itata Chile 2022

92 points Vinous
"The 2022 País Granito from Guarilihue, Itata, was 100% whole bunches fermented and aged for one year in barrels. Garnet red in hue. The nose presents pomegranate and characterful herb aromas over a bed of red fruit. Delicate and refreshing for the variety; the tannins leave their rustic mark on the meadowy, floral flavors."

91 points Wine Advocate
“The 2022 Granito is a joint venture between Marcelo Retamal and his US importer Eric Solomon from European Wine Cellars. It was produced with País from a dry-farmed, ungrafted and head-pruned vineyard planted in 1930 in the coolest part of Guarilihue in the coastal mountain range of Itata. It fermented with 100% full clusters in raulí open vats and matured in used oak barrels for seven months. It's clean and fruit-driven, elegant and aromatic, balsamic and spicy with minty notes and hints of nutmeg and cola nut with a balanced mouthfeel and some dusty tannins that call for food. It reveals some spiciness and smoke from the élevage. It has 12.3% alcohol and good freshness for the variety.”

Vinous Reverie Notes
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. Granito comes from a single vineyard of País grown on granitic soils a scant 20km from the Pacific Ocean.