Chile Reconsidered
2010 Luyt Carignan Trequilemu
A Burgundian in South America
For Chilean wine, Louis-Antoine Luyt is a game changer. It's simple as that.
We receive requests for Chilean wine all the time and with an exception or two, we disappoint.
Sadly, it's been very hard to find wines from Chile that fit into what we look for in wine - a sense of uniqueness and rootedness, vibrant acid backbones, balance, etc.
Luyt's 2010 Carignan Trequilemu changed all that.
I'm happy to offer this eye-opening wine at $21.95 on bottles and $19.95 on 4-packs. For fascination, quality and value this is really worth a look.
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Luyt's work in Chile is extremely exciting. Tasting the wines offers a new look at the type of wines that the country can produce. The style of wines that he's turning out are the kind we like to drink and to have on our tables.
Of course, when you hear that he spent five vintages with the Beaujolais master Lapierre this isn't all that surprising.
He brings a fascinating perspective to Chilean wine. His practices are radical for Chile: he keeps the alcohol down, vineyards are plowed by horses, the vines are not irrigated, fermentations are done with natural yeasts, carbonic maceration is often used.
Luyt's 2010 Carignan Trequilemu weighs in at only 12.9 percent alcohol and is sourced from a single vineyard of 70 year old vines that are very close to the Pacific Ocean. What stands out is the rush of pure, precise fruit with underlying herbs and dark minerals. Beyond the context of Chilean wine, Luyt's wine is one of the most delicious and successful Carignan's that I've tasted in a long time.
For me, Luyt introduces the very elements that I have found conspicuously absent in most Chilean wines: a sense of rootedness and individuality and a level of refreshing drinkability.
Luyt is a Burgundian who traveled to Chile in his twenties. He started working in a restaurant as a dishwasher and moved up to being a wine buyer and being mentored by South America's only Master of Wine at the time.
He was disappointed by the homogenized nature of Chilean wine and fascinated by the old vines farmed by small growers that were in the country, but just sold off to big, industrial growers. He went back to Beaune to study oenology and while there, met Mathieu Lapierre, son of the legendary Marcel Lapierre, and worked five vintages with him. From there, he decided to return to Chile and pursue Lapierre-style natural winemaking.
It's encouraging to see what Luyt is doing in Chile. For lovers of Beaujolais, Loire, etc., it's a reminder that there are still plenty of vineyards in the world whose potential hasn't been explored or exploited.
The only discouraging thing is that there's just not that much wine. This offer will likely sell out by the end of the day. Give us your ideal order and we'll try our best.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2010 Luyt Carignan Trequilemu
Special Email Bottle Price: $21.95
Compare at up to $23
Special Email 4-Pack Price: $79.80 ($19.95/btl)
2010 Luyt Carignan Trequilemu is in stock!
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