Laberinto’s Highly Rated Sauvignon Blanc Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
For the last five to six years the dollar-per-dollar highest-reviewed Sauvignon Blanc in the world has been Chile’s Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc (check out the current vintage we have in stock: (2023 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto" Sauvignon Blanc Maule Valley $19.99 96TA 95DS 93JS). The competition is not even close. Its closest competitor comes from New Zealand, and, at this price point I think we would have to go back decades to find a wine with similar reviews from France! I love that this overachieving wine comes from an appellation that is off the grid, far away from where, on paper, you would expect to find crisp, mineral-driven wines.
The man behind Laberinto is Rafael Tirado. He came to acclaim in the 80s and 90s with by making some of the more famous red wines that were coming out of Chile at that time. He decided to break away and start his own project, in a place where, up to that point in time, there had been no viticulture, Colbun. Colbun is a town that is located in the Eastern part of Maule in the pre-Andean foothills. Here it is all pine trees and lakes, and it is best known for outdoor recreation: hiking, camping, swimming, and waterskiing. It is incredibly picturesque, a place to get away and relax. It also happens to be a place that is incredible for viticulture, with varied exposures and soils. It has the mixed colluvial and alluvial soils that are expected at the base of mountains as well as ash and other soils from nearby volcanoes. Add to that the high diurnal shifts and long sun-filled days—it is no wonder that the wines are so dynamic! The cherry on top for me is that the project is named after the vineyard that he planted as a labyrinth!
While the Sauvignon Blanc is Laberinto’s calling card, there are many other excellent wines you should not ignore. In fact, there is a white wine that may be rivaling their Sauvignon Blanc—unexpectedly it is Riesling!
2023 Laberinto "Arcillas de Laberinto" Riesling Maule Valley $19.99 97TA 93DS A 97-point score from Tim Atkin is nothing to overlook; in my opinion he is the best English-language wine reviewer for South America. For over 30 years he has travelled to and explored the enormity of the South American continent, tasting wines. I am exaggerating, but not that much, by saying this wine has a finish that many $100 bottles wish that they had! This wine just goes and goes. The length and depth of the finish will keep pulling your attention back to it. The lingering fruits, minerality and mouth-watering acidity persist and persist. The fruit tones range from stone fruits and citrus with an interesting back note that plays against the fruit and minerality. This is a wine that just gets better and better the longer that it is opened. I know that most people would not think to decant a $20 white wine, but after 30 minutes this wine really opens up. It is definitely one of those bottles where the last sip is the best sip.
Selling Pinot Noir in California that is made outside of California, Oregon, and France can be like trying to sell ice cream at the NorthPole. It just happens that I am a guy who loves drinking iced coffee in the snow, so I think I am up for the challenge! It also helps that this is a delicious Pinot Noir. The 2023 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto" Pinot Noir Maule Valley $21.99 94DS does everything that I want a Pinot to do. It has high-toned berry fruit with a savory element to balance and an energetic and long finish. The color of the wine is not as saturated as you see from other New World producers—it reminds me more of Burgundy. It also does that neat trick where the initial impact of the wines is medium-light bodied, but the more sips you take the bigger the impression becomes. I like to joke that this style of wine has two bottles of flavor with the body of one. All the fruit is accented with herbs and minerality. There is something about this terroir, and the winemaking! This wine has a great finish.
One of the vinous treasures of Chile is the País grape. In Chile you can find wines that are made from País vineyards that are over 200 years old! The fruit for the 2022 Laberinto "Arcillas" Pais Maule Valley $21.99 95TA 93DS 93JS comes from 30-year-old vines. I think that País is an ideal varietal for those who are looking for lighter-bodied, lower-alcohol, chillable red wines, especially if you enjoy exploring wines that are off the beaten path. Here the wine is aged is concrete and amphora. Notes of wild red and dark berries are underlined by savory herbs to give the wine an earthy mineral edge. This wine feels and tastes like a “mountain” wine: cool, untamed, and persistent. It is a delicious example of the potential of this varietal.