P.S. Garcia Bravado Itata Valley Old Vine Red Blend 2018

The deeply colored and formidable sounding 2018 Bravado lives up to its name. Big, beautiful, and full of life, this field blend of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Petit Verdot, and Mourvèdre has garnered 93 points from Tim Atkin. P.S. Garcia’s 2018 Bravado Old Vine Red Blend offers up heady aromatics, a boatload of flavors, and plenty of punch, which include a cache of ripe fruits: fresh blackberries, blueberries, and plums along with a dash of delectable spices. Although big and bold in the mouth, the 2018 Bravado never loses its equilibrium. Bravado’s lush old vine fruit is incredibly balanced by mature ripe tannins and a pleasant core of acidity from the Carignan that provides energy and lift as well as a long lip smacking finish. Reminiscent of some of the finest old vine California field blends, P.S. Garcia’s 2018 Bravado makes a great statement and one fine-drinking wine. Not only does it pay tribute to Chile’s patrimony and MOVI’s passion for authentic wines, it may very well start a revolution. Enjoy the 2018 P.S. Garcia Bravado at cool room or cellar temperature now and throughout much of the next decade.

P.S. Garcia’s Itata Valley Old Vine Red Blend needs little else than its easy natural swagger to charm. The wine’s extroverted personality makes it an ideal sipping wine for those who relish bold flavored wines or long for the perfect partner to bring to table to accompany stick to your ribs, down home cooking. Comfort foods in the form of cherry-braised short ribs, barbequed flank steak with scalloped potatoes and grilled balsamic glazed Portobello mushrooms, and grilled sausage and lentil chili all make splendid companions to P.S. Garcia’s 2018 Bravado. A Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, Spaghetti Bolognese with sautéed spinach, and almost any hearty dish with a side of Mac’n Cheese will taste all the better in the company of a glass of the 2018 P.S. Garcia Bravado, which will not only ennoble the food but also cut through the triglycerides. For a special treat, consider pairing P.S. Garcia’s Bravado with Sancocho, a hearty Caribbean and Latin American specialty. It’s a delicious beef stew made with yucca and root vegetables all in a delectable rich broth. Buen Provecho!

Felipe Garcia created P.S. Garcia in 2006. At the time, Felipe and fellow winemaker Connie Schwaderer were working for large Chilean wineries. Each shared a passion for creating truly authentic Chilean wines, wines that reflect the oenological patrimony of the country, its people, and longstanding wine traditions. Together they identified the vineyards, fruit, and old vines that fit the style of wines they longed to make. When their respective employers issued them an ultimatum: Abandon your personal project and your dreams or leave your stable jobs, they chose the road less traveled, launched P.S. Garcia, and made their first “truly Chilean wine.”

Inspired at first by old-vine Carignan from Chile’s Maule Valley, Felipe started VIGNO (Vignadores de Carignan), an organization devoted to producing Carignan, one of Chile’s original European grape varietals. In 2009, Felipe and Connie took their passions a step further by forming a group with other like-minded small wineries in Chile called MOVI: Movimiento de Viñateros Independientes (Movement of Independent Vintners). Both organizations are now firmly established and are responsible for Chile’s growing number of small independent wineries that fashion an exciting array of wines from old vines and heirloom grape varieties.

Felipe and Connie bring formidable experience to P.S. Garcia. Before teaming up with Felipe and launching P.S. Garcia, Connie studied agricultural engineering at the Catholic University of Valparaíso with a post-graduate specialization in enology from the University of Chile. She served as the winemaker for two Chilean wineries: Viña Agustinos from 2001 to 2009 and Viña Veranda from 2003 to 2009. Felipe’s background is in agricultural engineering and enology from the University of Chile. Prior to establishing P.S. Garcia, he served as winemaker for Viña Calina from 2000 to 2006 and later at Viña Casas del Bosque, one of Chile’s most critically acclaimed wineries, from 2006 to 2009.

P.S. Garcia produces three exceptional authentic Chilean wines beginning with Bravado (this month’s feature), a delicious old vine field blend emanating from the Piedra Lisa and Bellavista vineyards in the Itata Valley. Both vineyards are farmed organically with vines in excess of 100 years of age. Facundo, a blend of Carignan and Bordeaux varietals, and Vigno, a rare offering from 100% very old Carignan vines, round out P.S. Garcia’s eminent portfolio of authentic Chilean wines.

The Itata Valley, which lies hundreds of miles south of Chile’s capital Santiago, is nicknamed the “Chilean Tuscany.” With rolling green hills similar to those of Tuscany, Itata is home to some of Chile’s oldest viticultural history and a wealth of ancient bush vines, including Carignan, Cinsault, Muscat, Pais, and others. Sufficient rainfall and ideal growing conditions allow many vineyards to be dry farmed and organic.