Villalobos is 100% a family project, and 100% a passion project. All the labels are paintings done by papa, who is a well respected artist in his own right. The wine is more like an extension of his creative side than a traditional business. His sons handle the biz part.
People like to talk about “sauvage” or “wild” wines, but few are literal examples. Villalobos’ “Silvestre” cuvee is sourced from a forest of fruit, where the carignan grows in wild bunches 18 feet off the ground. That’s insane. These are ungrafted, bush vines on quartz and clay that are left untouched until harvest. It does not get more natural than that folks.
| People like to talk about “sauvage” or “wild” wines, but few are literal examples. Villalobos’ “Silvestre” cuvee is sourced from a forest of fruit, where the carignan grows in wild bunches 18 feet off the ground. That’s insane. These are ungrafted, bush vines on quartz and clay that are left untouched until harvest. It does not get more natural than that folks. In addition to the wild wines, they source organic fruit from two farmers. All the negoce wines are 100% stainless, native yeast, unfined, unfiltered expressions of Pacific terroirs. These are much lighter, fresher examples of Chilean viticulture than we are used to tasting, but ones that still express a clear sense of place. That’s a nice balance. We know it’s a tricky time to introduce new wines, but maybe that’s exactly what we need at this moment. These wines show us there is always something new to discover and bring a totally fresh perspective to a genre with a somewhat tired and cheapened reputation. And a fresh perspective is exactly what the doctor orders right now! – Adam Eisenberg |
| Viñedo Silvestre 2018 (Carignan) – $18.99 100% Colchagua Valley fruit from 80 year old “wild” vines on clay/quartz. Stainless native ferment, aged 18 months used French oak. Unfined, unfiltered, minimal s02 at bottling. 9k bottles produced. Lobo 2018 (Carmenere) – $18.99 Sourced from 20 year old trellised vines in Lolol, a microclimate in the Colchagua valley. Fermented in stainless, unfined, unfiltered, min s02 at bottling. Only 12.5% alcohol. Zorrito Salvage 2018 (País, Cinsault) – $18.99 Sourced fruit from 100 year old cinsault vines on granite (Itata) and 100 year old pais on clay (Maule). 50% each. 100% stainless. All native yeast, unfined, unfiltered with a touch of s02 at bottling. Costino 2019 (Cabernet Sauvignon) – $15.99 Puts the sauvignon in cabernet! Sourced from 20 year old vines in Lolol. A very “Pacific” cab, unfined, unfiltered and min s02 of course. |
