94

2019 Verum Las Tinadas Airén de Pie Franco, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

( £25, 12%, The Great Wine Co )

Grown on its own roots, organically farmed and fermented and aged in traditional clay pots, or tinadas, this is an old-vine wine that could almost give the normally bland, good-for-distillation-but-not-a-lot-else Airén a good name. It’s a brilliant white from Elías López Montero, the subject of one my recent #corktalk podcasts incidentally,  showing notes of pear, orange zest and citrus, with creamy lees, wonderful texture and a taut, refreshing finish.

BuyDrinking window: 2021-26Similar Wines: £25-30, 90-94, Spain, White, Airén
96

2018 Pedro Parra Hub Cinsault, Itata Valley

( £29.99, 13%, Liberty Wines )

Hub is named after jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and is my favourite in the Pedro Parra range. The 80-year-old vines here are at 300 metres and face north-west on very poor granitic soils, yielding a wine with more colour than the rest of the line up, wonderful, sappy vivacity and intensity, a spicy undertone and vibrant red cherry, blackberry and raspberry coulis flavours. Fresh, long and satisfying, it’s a Grand Cru expression of Itata Valley Cinsault.

BuyDrinking window: 2020-27Similar Wines: £25-30, 95-100, Chile, Red, Cinsault
95

2018 Pedro Parra Monk Cinsault, Itata Valley

( £29.99, 13.5%, Liberty Wines )

Monk – a tribute to jazz pianist Thelonius Monk – is a superb varietal Cinsault from a 70-year-old vineyard at 300 metres in Guarilihue. Fermented with natural yeasts and one-third whole clusters, it’s a dense, slightly smoky red from granitic clay soils, showing impressive depth and richness, notes of gunflint, red plum and wild strawberry and a long, balanced finish. Chilean Cinsault at its best.

BuyDrinking window: 2020-26Similar Wines: £25-30, 95-100, Chile, Red, Cinsault
92

2018 Pedro Parra Trane Cinsault, Itata Valley

( £29.99, 13.5%, Liberty Wines )

Trane, named after jazz legend John Coltrane, comes from a 70-year-old vineyard at 300 metres on shallow granite soils with silt and stones. Fermented with 30% whole bunches, it has medium colour, aromas of wild strawberry and Turkish Delight, juicy red berry fruit of raspberry and bramble, subtle reduction and classic Itata grip and understated intensity.

BuyDrinking window: 2020-25Similar Wines: £25-30, 90-94, Chile, Red, Cinsault