
Cinsault or Sinsault is a red wine blending grape most commonly grown in Southern France. Cinsault has a dark skin and most often used in Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvedre blends. Cinsault is sometimes produced as its own variety as a Rose, which is airy and crisp with a pleasing nose. In France, Cinsault is allowed to be included in a Chateaneuf du Pape blend. However, in other parts of the world such as Morocco, Algeria, Tusisia, Corsica, and Lebanon, Cinsaut is one of the principal production grapes. It does extremely well in hot and dry climates, and is susceptible to rot in damp environments. Cinsaut is the very first founder of Pinotage in Africa. It was blended with Pinot Noir in 1925. Pinotage now is the majority grape in African vineyards of the Western Cape. Cinsaut produces extremely low tannins, but gives favorable aroma to any blend. Cinsault will give substantial yields of light red berries.
Babylons Peak Cinsault is made from 100 percent Cinsault.
Medium to light bodied. Fruit driven with spicy undertones. Soft tannins and fine complexity. A fruit driven wine with lively light palate and lingering mouthfeel.
Review:
"Savory aromas of black olives, grilled meat, thyme, peppercorns and dark fruit. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a flavorful, succulent and peppery palate. Drink now."
- James Suckling (December 2021), 90 pts
La Despensa Boutique Cinsault is made from 100% Cinsault.
A genuinely unique wine - they are the only producers of Cinsault in Colchagua! From a new vineyard planted in 2017, the team at La Despensa thinks they’ve hit the jackpot with this variety in this valley. Much more structure, color and intensity than the typical Chilean Cinsaults from further south, this is an easy drinking but serious version of this wonderfully fruity variety!
La Despensa Boutique Cinsault is made from 100% Cinsault.
A genuinely unique wine - they are the only producers of Cinsault in Colchagua! From a new vineyard planted in 2017, the team at La Despensa thinks they’ve hit the jackpot with this variety in this valley. Much more structure, color and intensity than the typical Chilean Cinsaults from further south, this is an easy drinking but serious version of this wonderfully fruity variety!
Review:
"Apparently the first and only Cinsault from Colchagua, the 2021 Boutique Cinsault was produced with vines planted in 2017 and worked organically (but is not certified), and it's much darker and more structured than the examples from the south. It fermented in concrete with selected yeasts and went through malolactic in stainless steel and then 60% of the volume matured in used barriques for six months. It has 13.5% alcohol and kept good freshness, and it's varietal, balanced and easy to drink but not banal. 1,200 bottles were filled in March 2022. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2023), 91 pts
La Despensa Boutique Pool Blend 75% Cinsault, 15% Pais, 5% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne.
A genuinely unique wine - La Despensa is the only producer of Cinsault in Colchagua and Pais from this valley is also extremely rare! The Cinsault and the 2 whites come from a new vineyard planted in 2017 and the Pais from a 150 year old, dry-farmed vineyard in Pumanque about 20 minutes from the winery that they run themselves organically. The Cinsault and Pais give notes of raspberry and strawberry and the white Roussanne and Marsanne a little mouthfeel and a hint of tropical fruit.
Organically grown grapes (not certified) from our own vineyard in Santa Ana, and Pumanque in the Colchagua Valley. Irrigated as sparingly as possible via drip irrigation (dry-farming for the 150 year old Pais). Hand harvested and sorted personally by me in the vineyard (I personally check every single bunch), then destemmed with the crusher removed from the destemmer. Grapes are fermented in open top bins and concrete tank and blended immediately after pressing. MLF occurs with the wine already blended. Wines are racked in November and again in January before being bottled after about 10 months ageing in 50% neutral oak barrels and 50% Flextank.
Versatile, goes well with beef, chicken, pasta, great for Summer BBQs
Review:
"The red blend 2021 Wines Pool Blend was produced with an unusual blend, especially for a wine from Colchagua, of 75% Cinsault, 15% País and 5% each Marsanne and Roussanne. It has kept a moderate 13.5% alcohol and retained good freshness (pH 3.44) after maturing exclusively in Flextank and being bottled unoaked. This is fruit-driven and straightforward, with a medium-bodied palate and fine tannins. 2,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2022. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2023), 90 pts
La Despensa Boutique Pool Blend 75% Cinsault, 15% Pais, 5% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne.
A genuinely unique wine - La Despensa is the only producer of Cinsault in Colchagua and Pais from this valley is also extremely rare! The Cinsault and the 2 whites come from a new vineyard planted in 2017 and the Pais from a 150 year old, dry-farmed vineyard in Pumanque about 20 minutes from the winery that they run themselves organically. The Cinsault and Pais give notes of raspberry and strawberry and the white Roussanne and Marsanne a little mouthfeel and a hint of tropical fruit.
Organically grown grapes (not certified) from our own vineyard in Santa Ana, and Pumanque in the Colchagua Valley. Irrigated as sparingly as possible via drip irrigation (dry-farming for the 150 year old Pais). Hand harvested and sorted personally by me in the vineyard (I personally check every single bunch), then destemmed with the crusher removed from the destemmer. Grapes are fermented in open top bins and concrete tank and blended immediately after pressing. MLF occurs with the wine already blended. Wines are racked in November and again in January before being bottled after about 10 months ageing in 50% neutral oak barrels and 50% Flextank.
Versatile, goes well with beef, chicken, pasta, great for Summer BBQs.
Belle Glos Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Deep garnet in color with an aromatic medley of black cherry, marionberry, ripe plum and a hint of anise. Dark fruit on the palate with flavors of wild berries, caramelized oak and cacao nibs complemented by subtle notes of vanilla, cedar and a hint of lavender and forest floor. Rich and unrestrained, this wine’s abundant fruit is beautifully balanced by firm acidity and layers of red and black fruit.
Review:
Deep and dark aromas of black cherry, sandalwood and incense make for a heady nose on this bottling. The palate is big and bold, loaded with ripe black cherry and boysenberry flavors, as peppery, incense-like spices add complexity and the texture stays lusciously creamy.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py is made from 100 percent Gamay.
The Morgon Cru is based in the heart of Northern Beaujolais. Côte du Py is the heart of Morgon, a little hill of very old blue stone rocks - the oldest soils of Beaujolais (around 430 millions years old), with a typical blue color.
Côte du Py has been known for centuries for being the best terroir of the village, producing long lived wines with strong structure and flavors.
Wines of the Côte du Py are very dark, profound and dense. Classic aromas of red berries, cherry, kirsh. Fruity, structured and mineral in the mouth with graphite flavors and spicy notes of black and white pepper. Wine can age up to 10 years.
Hand picked grapes are sorted manually and destemmed for 50 to 70%. Fermentation starts in concrete tanks and lasts for 18-25 days with remontages and pigeages. Then after pressurage starts the aging, for 2/3 in concrete tanks, and 1/3 in recent French oak barrels with batonages on fine lies only. After 10 month we do the blending, keeping only the best cuvees and best barrels, and do the bottling.
Pairs well with red meat like beef, duck and game (Hare, Dear, Wild Pork,…), cheses.