Celebrating the Soul of Old Vine País: Introducing ALMAULE

Vinography.com – Alder Yarrow

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about VIGNO, a unique movement created in Chile to celebrate and spotlight old-vine, dry-farmed Carignan in Chile’s Maule Valley.

That is, it was unique—until about four years ago, when six of the players involved in VIGNO decided the same thing needed to be done for the old-vine País of Maule’s Secano Interior. And so ALMAULE was born.

Interestingly, while the old-vine Carignan in Maule dates to the middle of the 20th century, there are many País vineyards in the region well over a century old. These scraggly, own-rooted vines have made beautifully delicious wines for generations, mostly consumed by locals or sold to massive wineries where the grapes traditionally disappeared into mass-market regional blends.

While the philosophy behind VIGNO leans toward a more serious, fine-wine approach to Carignan, the philosophy at ALMAULE seems quite the opposite. País has long been a wine of the people, and ALMAULE aims to celebrate that by putting the grape back where it used to be—not on a pedestal, but on dinner tables, picnic blankets, beach towels, tailgates, and afternoon plaza benches, where it was once ubiquitous.

“ALMAULE is a tribute to the cultural richness of Secano and the resilient capacity of winemaking that, since 1548, gave rise to Chile’s most emblematic industry and symbol in the world.”

— From the founders

The Dry Land

Maule’s Secano Interior region boasts a remarkable 19,000 hectares of vines. No one knows exactly how much of that is País, but nearly everyone in the region grows at least some País—it’s the oldest grape variety in the country.

“Not everyone has old-vine Carignan,” says Derek Mossman Knapp, one of the founding members of both VIGNO and ALMAULE, “but almost everyone has some País, and the thinking is that this really should be what our young people in Chile are learning to drink with instead of mixed drinks or beer. This is about easy drinking.”

The ALMAULE group, like VIGNO, has defined a set of production standards that its members must follow in order to use the ALMAULE designation.

ALMAULE wines must:

• Come from the subregions of Talca, Pencahue, San Clemente, San Rafael, San Javier, Villa Alegre, Parral, Linares, and Cauquenes
• Contain at least 90% País grown on head-trained vines over 30 years of age
• Have an alcohol content of at least 12.5% and residual sugar of less than 5 g/l

Wines must also pass a blind tasting panel evaluation to ensure that they are “fresh, rustic, clear, clean, and juicy red wine reflective of the vintage, where varietal characteristics predominate.”

País, of course, has become something of a darling in the natural wine scene over the past 15 years, and ALMAULE seems determined to set itself apart from those wines—partly by hearkening back to the fresh and uncomplicated wines that were traditionally made from the grape.

Even more so than VIGNO, the folks behind ALMAULE seem focused on the local Chilean market. Despite similar beginnings, VIGNO eventually became much more influential outside of Chile than within it. Whether the same thing will happen to ALMAULE remains to be seen—especially given País’s popularity in trendy wine bars and restaurants these days.

“There isn’t a wine list in Brooklyn without a País on it,” jokes Knapp. “And if they don’t have it, they’ll guiltily tell you they’re out and offer to go get a bottle from their sister restaurant down the street.”

That’s a promising signal of potential, but Knapp is much more pleased with the reception so far within Chile. “When you take these [ALMAULE] wines out to an event, or something social in Chile, people pick it up by the glass and swig it. VIGNO is still more of a hand-sell—a ‘with food’ wine. You take ALMAULE out, and it seems people are content to drink this instead of beer.”

País for the People

There are plenty of underrated grapes in the world, but País ranks high on the list of those dismissed by the modern wine establishment. I’ve written about this phenomenon before, and tried to make the case that while there may indeed have been an era when País wines from both California and Chile were a little wild and rustic, that was more a reflection of the effort and care put into those wines—not the intrinsic quality of the grape itself.

País, in the right hands, can be made into a delightful wine, full of energy, freshness, fruit, and juicy acidity. Light in color and body, the grape lends itself perfectly to today’s fascination with chillable reds and other “smashable” genres.

The ALMAULE producers were kind enough to send me some bottles to show what they’re up to, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. From the vaunted name of Baron Philippe de Rothschild to the humble local cooperative winery in Loncomilla, the wines have a cheerful deliciousness that’s impossible to ignore.

The name ALMAULE is a portmanteau of Maule and alma, which means “soul.” It’s a fitting label for wines that manage to bridge nearly 500 years of winemaking history and still feel right at home in the modern age.

We all need to be drinking more País.

Tasting Notes

Unfortunately, these wines are not yet available in the US (or most other places in the world, for that matter), as they are relatively new to market and made in small quantities. But keep an eye out for them over the next year or two. They’re worth waiting for.

2023 Balduzzi Almaule País, Maule Valley, Chile
Light to medium ruby in the glass with some blood-red highlights, this wine smells of cherries, candied pomegranate, and flowers. In the mouth, juicy and bright acidity makes sour cherry, mulberry, and raspberry flavors zingy and mouthwatering as fine, powdery tannins coat the mouth and stiffen with time. Aromatic and long, with a lovely perfume. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 9.

2024 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Almaule – Terra Sagrada País, Maule Valley, Chile
Medium garnet in the glass with purple highlights, this wine smells of boysenberries and black raspberries. In the mouth, juicy, almost saline flavors of unripe blackberry and black raspberries mix with sour cherry and a hint of dried herbs. Wonderfully mouthwatering with the faintest gauzy tannins adding a little texture. Made from a single 3.7ha vineyard. 12.5% alcohol. Certified vegan. Score: around 9.

2023 Entre Rosas & Parras Almaule País, Maule Valley, Chile
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of boysenberries and blueberries. In the mouth, there’s a light petillance on the tongue as boysenberry and grape soda flavors are wrapped in a fleecy blanket of tannins. Tastes like it was made with carbonic maceration. A bit overly fruity for my taste, but with good acidity. Alcohol unknown, as the wine is missing a back label. Score: between 8 and 8.5.

2023 Erasmo Almaule País, Secano Interior, San Javier, Maule Valley, Chile
Light garnet in the glass, this wine smells of road dust, warm (clean) dog fur, and strawberries. In the mouth, juicy berry flavors are bright with citrus peel notes as excellent acidity makes the mouth water. Lightly grippy tannins coat the mouth, and a hint of herbal bitterness lingers in the finish. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5.

2022 Garage Wine Co. Almaule País, Maule Valley, Chile
Light to medium ruby in the glass with some garnet highlights, this wine smells of dusty roads, chaparral, and red berries. In the mouth, the wine has a faintly earthy and animal note to it, like wet dog fur, along with strawberry and raspberry fruit shot through with lightly bitter dried herbs. Powdery tannins coat the mouth and stiffen slightly in the finish. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5.

2023 Gillmore Almaule País, Maule Valley, Chile
Light garnet in the glass, this wine smells of strawberries, raspberries, and underbrush. In the mouth, bright, juicy strawberry and raspberry flavors are shot through with a lightly bitter herbal flavor and hints of sawdust. Excellent acidity and the faintest of tannins. 12.5% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Score: between 8.5 and 9.

2023 Las Valetas Almaule País, Maule Valley, Chile
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherries, raspberries, and wildflowers. In the mouth, powdery tannins coat the mouth as wonderfully juicy strawberry and cherry flavors make the mouth water, thanks to excellent acidity. The tannins settle like a gauze on the palate but then gradually stiffen, giving this wine a slow grip. Alcohol unknown. Score: between 8.5 and 9.

2023 Cooperativa Loncomilla Almaule País, Loncomilla, Maule Valley, Chile
Pale ruby in the glass, looking very much like a rosé, this wine smells of strawberries and wildflowers. In the mouth, silky flavors of berries and flowers have a bright juiciness to them with no trace of bitterness. This is just bright, aromatically sweet fruit and all the more charming for it. Excellent acidity and a near absence of tannins. Very delicious. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 9.