These old, dry-farmed vines in the coastal hills went to bulk wine for locals until winemakers like Marcelo Retamal and Marco De Martino began seeking out the best sites for more ambitious selections. They ferment the wine in lagars and age it in large clay amphorae (tinajas). The wine is all about fresh fruit, a lively red to pour, poolside, this summer. But that brisk freshness also carries more profound depths of flavor, all the while cool, light and gracious.

The nose is somehow organic, mixing aromas of dried roses, decayed wild strawberries, raspberries and a hint of leaves; it is a little musky … with some earthy aromas that are focused and precise. The palate is light to medium-bodied with moderate acidity, but the wine is still fresh. Ideal with white meat, charcuterie and lighter food.

The 2013 Cinsault Viejas Tinajas is sourced from a dry-farmed, head-pruned vineyard very close to the sea on granitic soils. The grapes are de-stemmed, fermented and aged in these old tinajas, terracotta amphorae, that they have been buying around the country, many of which were abandoned in fields and are more than 100 years old. This is rescuing an old tradition, and working with amphora is not easy, you have to be very careful and clean them very well. The wine sold in Chile does not have any added sulphur, but the bottles that are exported have a small addition (20 mg.) The wine has been very well-received by the local market, and in this third vintage they have produced 11,000 bottles. It has a bright ruby color with a musky nose of cherries, decayed leaves and an herbaceous side to it. The light to medium-bodied palate is fresh, with 12.5% alcohol and enough acidity (Cinsault is quite low in acidity). This is an easy-to-drink food wine. It has a slightly musty character that I find a little distressing, hence the question mark. Drink now-2017.

One of Chile’s most unusual reds. It’s muscular and medicinal on the nose, with earthy, rubbery scents. Flavors of mushroom and dusty berry lack pointed freshness, while the finish is lively and earthy, with a plum character.

A distinctly different wine from Chile, this was produced from old-vine cinsault in the coastal hills of Itata, about 250 miles south of Santiago. It was made by Marcelo Retamal in tinajas (clay pots, most of which are more than 80 years old), with nothing but ripe grapes (no additions of any kind). The wines’s purity is the first thing that stands out: It’s fruity and direct in its aromas of raspberries, like the freshest juicy red fruit you can imagine. What follows is resonant acidity through a lively, refreshing finish. An exciting new path for Chilean wine.

Deep ruby. Explosive scents of black raspberry, cola, Asian spices and anise. Round and sappy, offering intense red and dark berry flavors lifted by juicy acidity. Closes seamless, pliant and sweet but structured as well, with outstanding focus and length.

The 2011 Cinsault Viejas Tinajas (whole berries with no punching down or sulphur) has a lovely fresh nose of red currant jam, iodine and violets that is well defined, imbued with a sense of energy. The palate is medium-bodied with a crisp red currant and dark cherry entry with touches of fig and