Sanmac Winery Lara Single Vineyard Cheongsu N/V
A white from Yeongdong with an aroma of cotton candy, quite high acidity and a sweetish taste.
Region: North Chungcheong · Type: White · Vintage: NV · Producer: Sanmac Winery · Grape: Cheongsu
Tasted 2025-05-17
In the glass
The aroma was of cotton candy. The acidity was quite high and the wine tasted rather sweet, with a bitter, herbal edge. It was found hard to drink, but it was judged a well-made wine.
Producer
Sanmac Winery is a farm winery in Yeongdong, North Chungcheong. Its founder bought the valley and began growing grapes, then spent 6 years in training and hands-on practice after taking up farming before establishing the winery in 2015. The founder is also a working painter, and all of the winery's labels are made as works of art.
Site
The winery's vineyards sit at 200 m above sea level, where valley winds coming down from the mountains keep conditions dry and bring a wide difference between day and night temperatures. The vineyards were cut out of the mountainside and slope slightly. The soil is decomposed granite that drains well after rain and is rich in illite, a mica-like clay mineral.
Vinification
Lara is a dry white wine released every year from Cheongsu, a white variety developed in Korea, grown by the winery itself. This wine is 100% Cheongsu. The grapes are picked by hand and fully destemmed, and the wine is given ample time for cold maceration and lees contact. It is aged for at least 10 months in stainless steel tanks before release, with oak ageing depending on the vintage.