2019 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc, Colchagua Valley, Chile
92 Points, Vinous 91 Points, James Suckling 90 Points, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Bright ruby red color. The nose predominantly shows aromas of strawberry and blackberry, with notes of currant, black cherry, aromatic herbs, and roasted red pepper gradually appearing. Aging in oak barrels enhances the aromatic complexity, adding notes of tiramisu and nuts. On the palate, this wine is firm, with present tannins that enhance its liveliness and charm. An impressive and undoubtedly promising wine.
Vineyard Characteristics
The vineyards stretch from the Coastal Mountain Range to the Andes. The Mediterranean climate and the excellent quality soils of the region make Colchagua a unique area in Chile for the quality of its wines. Los Vascos is located at the foot of the Coastal Mountain Range, 200 km south of Santiago, in the coldest part of Colchagua, where the vines benefit from the natural freshness provided by the Pacific Ocean.
Terroir
Characterized by its strong personality, elegant structure, and good aging potential, Cabernet Franc has always been one of our favorite grape varieties. The idea of creating a high-end, single-varietal Cabernet Franc emerged after terroir studies were conducted at Los Vascos between 2009 and 2012. In 2013, 2 hectares were planted for the first time, which gradually increased to the current area of 18 hectares. For this demanding variety, we chose the slopes of Santa Lucía with its granitic soils and low clay content. The southeast orientation offers optimal conditions for fruit ripening, benefiting from the influence of the gentle sea breeze, which lowers the temperature of the grapes during the night. The results were as positive as we expected. Since the 2019 harvest, the vineyard has provided us with grapes possessing all the attributes necessary to produce an excellent single-varietal wine, suitable to be included in the Cromas line.
Harvest Summary
The name Cromas de Los Vascos is inspired by the colors of nature, which reflect the terroir and the knowledge and experience of the Los Vascos team. On this occasion, a drier than usual start to the season required early irrigation and careful vineyard management. The greatest challenge of this harvest was the extremely high temperatures recorded at the end of January and early February (peaking at 40.6°C). Fortunately, temperatures were much lower at night (with a historic low of 10.2°C), allowing the grapes to reach exceptional maturity and balance.
Winemaking Process
In the winery, this variety must be treated with great care, and the extraction and maceration processes must be performed with patience and caution. The grapes ferment in small stainless steel tanks to vinify each plot separately. Then, 80% of the total wine volume is aged in oak barrels, and the remaining 20% ages in cement tanks.
Specs
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc
Denomination: Colchagua, Chile
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.72
Total acidity: 3.19 g/l
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x 2019 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc, Colchagua Valley, Chile Case:
12x 2019 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $480/case MSRP
About The Winery
Viña Los Vascos
Domaines Barons de Rothschild acquired Viña Los Vascos in 1988, driven by a pioneering spirit and the goal of revealing the potential of this exceptional terroir. Today, we are working on a project that will allow us to fulfill a shared dream: to transform our property into a rich ecosystem where the finest wines of Chile are produced.
We are free in spirit. We combine Chilean traditions with the know-how of DBR Lafite to produce wines in our image.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2019 Los Vascos Chilean Cabernet Franc
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Los Vascos Chilean Cabernet Franc - $50 = 23.80%
Those Saturday Words Of Wisdom from the palate cognoscenti…
That 90 points from Enthusiast:
This wine has a nose of ripe black and red fruit accented by hints of flowers and baking spices. With a generous palate and well-integrated oak flavors, it displays vibrant acidity supporting savory black and red fruit with herbs. The finish is medium in length with vanilla notes. — Jesica Vargas 12/31/22
91 points. Some baked cherries, black pepper and dark spices. A full-bodied and rich cabernet with lots of cassis on the palate. Ripe, tannic and slightly chewy. Give it a year to let the tannin round off. Drink in 2024.
Patricio Tapia, from Descorochados https://www.guiadescorchados.cl/ing/
93 points. Tasted: Jan 2022
This is from a selection of 12-year-old vines planted on the granitic slopes of Peralillo. Half of the barrels used for aging were second use, and the other half were third use, and the wine remained in them for a full year. This is a juicy cabernet franc born of a warm year, with ripe and very herbal notes and the touches of tobacco that are common in this variety. The texture has grip, as the grape dictates. A very good example of the variety.
Apparently 91 points from Tim Atkin…
Spectator doesn’t appear to have reviewed this vintage…
Wine Advocate:
89 points. The 2019 Cromas Cabernet Franc has a mellow nose with a mixture of wild berries, herbs and spices. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with 14.5% alcohol, abundant, slightly dusty tannins and a dry finish, faintly varietal. Drink Date: 2023 - 2027, 18,000 bottles.
Los Vascos is a joint venture between Domaines Barons de Rothschild and Santa Rita, with 700 hectares planted mostly with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Syrah in Peralillo in Colchagua. They produce around six million bottles. Luis Gutiérrez Apr 06, 2023
Surprised to see (emails are stacked-up) to see the UPS guy coming up to the door
with a single bottle. Usually the call to adventure from Alice! This time revealed a Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva 2021 bearing the label footnote: “Domains Barons de Rothchild
and, on the final line: " Lafite”
Plenty of resting time later: the Southwest Flatiron Steak kabob recipe from the Pedroncelli website (just how the Google search worked out, and not by me!) was just about to hit the plates. Popped the Cromas open, bit of a dry feel on the cork top, but came out looking good. I got red, generalized, fruit on the nose, then a bit of woodyness and a mineral snap at the end. DW smelled cherry, but even with a hint it wasn’t coming through for me. First sip I found complex, smooth, a bit toasty. Oakey but in a layered, integrated way. E got “puckering, but without sneezing.” Later on, after an hour or so open, I definitely was getting cherries, nicely ripe. Good accompaniment to the steak w rice and roasted broccoli. On Day 2 we had it with a Summery chicken breasts with braised cherry tomatoes. Made good table company for that one as well. No amazing development with these dishes, but very enjoyable. Estimating a case price at $15-17 / bottle, I’d be IN.
2019 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc, Colchagua Valley, Chile
92 Points, Vinous
91 Points, James Suckling
90 Points, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Characteristics
Terroir
Harvest Summary
Winemaking Process
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $480/case MSRP
About The Winery
Viña Los Vascos
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 4 - Wednesday, Aug 6
2019 Los Vascos Chilean Cabernet Franc
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Los Vascos Chilean Cabernet Franc - $50 = 23.80%
Those Saturday Words Of Wisdom from the palate cognoscenti…
That 90 points from Enthusiast:
This wine has a nose of ripe black and red fruit accented by hints of flowers and baking spices. With a generous palate and well-integrated oak flavors, it displays vibrant acidity supporting savory black and red fruit with herbs. The finish is medium in length with vanilla notes. — Jesica Vargas 12/31/22
Patricio Tapia, from Descorochados https://www.guiadescorchados.cl/ing/
93 points. Tasted: Jan 2022
This is from a selection of 12-year-old vines planted on the granitic slopes of Peralillo. Half of the barrels used for aging were second use, and the other half were third use, and the wine remained in them for a full year. This is a juicy cabernet franc born of a warm year, with ripe and very herbal notes and the touches of tobacco that are common in this variety. The texture has grip, as the grape dictates. A very good example of the variety.
Apparently 91 points from Tim Atkin…
Spectator doesn’t appear to have reviewed this vintage…
Wine Advocate:
89 points. The 2019 Cromas Cabernet Franc has a mellow nose with a mixture of wild berries, herbs and spices. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with 14.5% alcohol, abundant, slightly dusty tannins and a dry finish, faintly varietal. Drink Date: 2023 - 2027, 18,000 bottles.
Los Vascos is a joint venture between Domaines Barons de Rothschild and Santa Rita, with 700 hectares planted mostly with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Syrah in Peralillo in Colchagua. They produce around six million bottles. Luis Gutiérrez Apr 06, 2023
fwiw
Surprised to see (emails are stacked-up) to see the UPS guy coming up to the door
with a single bottle. Usually the call to adventure from Alice! This time revealed a Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva 2021 bearing the label footnote: “Domains Barons de Rothchild
and, on the final line: " Lafite”
Plenty of resting time later: the Southwest Flatiron Steak kabob recipe from the Pedroncelli website (just how the Google search worked out, and not by me!) was just about to hit the plates. Popped the Cromas open, bit of a dry feel on the cork top, but came out looking good. I got red, generalized, fruit on the nose, then a bit of woodyness and a mineral snap at the end. DW smelled cherry, but even with a hint it wasn’t coming through for me. First sip I found complex, smooth, a bit toasty. Oakey but in a layered, integrated way. E got “puckering, but without sneezing.” Later on, after an hour or so open, I definitely was getting cherries, nicely ripe. Good accompaniment to the steak w rice and roasted broccoli. On Day 2 we had it with a Summery chicken breasts with braised cherry tomatoes. Made good table company for that one as well. No amazing development with these dishes, but very enjoyable. Estimating a case price at $15-17 / bottle, I’d be IN.
@kls_in_MD
@kls_in_MD taste tested against open bottle (in rear glass) of Son of a Butcher red blend. It held up nicely.