Gallardia del Itata Cinsault Rosé 2014

‘Gallardia’ is Spanish for ‘bravery’, but what's so brave about wine? Well, you wouldn't want to be a shrinking vinous violet in the face of the maraudingly progressive De Martino winery. They have happily pillaged Chile in pursuit of the most characterful patches of land with which to make wine, and to date has conquered over 350 plots. Battling with ancient vines, unforgiving soil, arid climate and the pervading influence of the Pacific Ocean, they produce unbowed wines that steadfastly reflect their origins, and their Gallardia del Itata Cinsault Rosé sneaks up on you with a delicate raspberry nose before swashing its buckle with a full-fruited and luscious palate.

De Martino is a family-owned wine estate established in 1934. Working under the broad mission statement of "Reinventing Chile," it has produced wine from over 350 Chilean vineyards, having spent the past decade-and-a-half scouring Chile from top to bottom and side to side in pursuit of the most characterful plots for grape cultivation. The winery is renowned also for bottling Chile's first Carmenere, and for being the country's first carbon neutral winery. The Gallardia del Itata range represents an effort to make the most natural wines possible, and the Cinsault Rose is cultivated sustainably and traditionally, often using ancient methods such as the use of work horses.

The Itata (pronounced ee-TAH-ta) Valley is the most northerly of Chile's three-valley Southern Region. Roughly 250 miles south of Santiago, it features vineyards ancient and modern, some of the having been planted around the town of Concepción during colonial times. The vineyards for the Gallardia range are situated just 25 kilometres inland from the Pacific Ocean, and the coastal climate enhances the freshness and acidity of the fruit.

Winemaker Marcelo Retamal has worked at De Martino since 1996, his pioneering work making him one of the most respected and award-festooned winemakers in Chile. The grapes for Gallardia Muscat are pressed immediately following de-stemming, and fermented in stainless steel for 18 days using indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is prevented by a dramatic lowering of temperature, and no sulphur dioxide is added until the wine has been clarified.