Labertino Cenizas Sauvignon Blanc 2022

95 points Robert Parker

The 2022 Cenizas de Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc is sharp and vibrant, with 12.6% alcohol, a pH of 3.04 and 8.77 grams of acidity. It was produced with grapes from vines planted in 1993 on volcanic ash soils. In 2022, Tirado macerated a bit more, looking for a little more structure. The wine didn't go through malolactic and was bottled after eight months with lees. This is sharp as a knife, with subtle aromas of meat broth and savory rather than floral or exotic, less varietal, complex, austere and mineral, with a rocky sensation. It's textured and tasty, clean, long and nuanced, fresh and balanced, with the cool sensation of the cold nights. He's worked a lot through decantation to be able to bottle the wine unfiltered, and the wine is bright and clean. It's an amazing wine, one of the finest values in Chile. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022. Experience with older vintages tells me this wine is going to develop nicely in bottle.

Laberinto is the project from winemaker Rafa Tirado in a cooler part of Maule, in Colbùn, where he has started with regenerative viticulture and has taken some steps in that direction, like keeping 75% of the property with native forest. Tirado is in the process of getting organic certification for his vineyards and has biodiversity and recycling as important priorities in his life project. He now produces 54,000 bottles, some of the best values in Chile and one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs.