Clos des Fous Tocao 2014

The dark, almost black and opaque 2013 Tocao is a floral and heady blend of Malbec from Bio Bio with some Cariñena from Cauquenes and Cabernet Sauvignon from Rancagua (Alto Cachapoal). The head-pruned and dry-farmed Malbec comes from a vineyard planted in 1914 in the village of San Rosendo on red granite soils. It fermented in concrete vats and aged in 50/50 new and second use French oak barrels with lees for two years. The effect of the oak in the élevage is still noticeable, with plenty of spicy and toasty/smoky notes, even if they used less new barrels in this second vintage. This gives it a more commercial, mainstream profile, quite unlike the style of Clos des Fous. The palate shows much better, with very fine tannins and good balance between power and elegance, with very good freshness. Give it some more time in bottle. 2,640 bottles were filled in March 2016.