Viña Casablanca

NEW VALLEY FOR NIMBUS MERLOT

We are proud to announce that we have kicked off the year with the launching of the 2012 vintage of Nimbus Merlot, which sets a major milestone: Its home valley is no longer Colchagua, but Casablanca! Gonzalo Bertelsen, General Manager and Chief Winemaker of Viña Casablanca, commented: “This change of valley strengthens freshness and acidity while adding more red fruit notes, which turns it into a more elegant yet less bold wine.

Moreover, its higher natural acidity increases its cellaring potential. We managed to make of Nimbus Merlot 2012 a more harmonic, balanced, and complex wine in line with our winemaking philosophy." Enjoy a glass of this elegant Merlot; a great companion to grilled meats, pasta, or pizza.

Viña Casablanca is the boutique winery of the Carolina Wine Brands holding, one of Chile’s premier wine producers, which for more than 140 years has been producing and selling high quality wines to consumers all over the world. Owned by the Larraín family, CWB is part of the Watt’s S.A. holding. Viña Casablanca began its operations in 1992 and its area under vine currently consists of 80 hectares distributed mostly in the Nimbus, El Chaparro, and La Vinilla Estates.

In 2011, Viña Casablanca signed a Joint Venture agreement with Laroche Chile –a member of the French holding AdVini. Under this agreement CWB and AdVini contributed Viña Casablanca and Laroche Chile’s assets to incorporate Viña Casablanca S.A., which produces 5 lines: Neblus, Nimbus, Cefiro, Sparkling and Late Harvest.

Casablanca Valley

LOCATION
This valley is located between the Coastal Range and the Pacific Ocean. It is 80 kms north-east of Santiago -Chile’s capital- and just 20 kms in straight line from Valparaíso, the country’s main port.

CLIMATE
Cold climate area influenced by the Pacific Ocean breeze. There are usually morning fogs that give way to clear skies in the afternoons.

SOIL
Granitic soils of variable depth resting on bedrock. This allow the roots to explore the entire profile.

Maipo Valley

LOCATION
Located on the northern bank of the Maipo River, it is one of the last areas available for vineyards within the Metropolitan Region. Its natural borders are the Andes Mountains to the east, and the Coastal Range to the west. It is known as the Cabernet Sauvignon valley.

CLIMATE
Cooled by the Andes, it has hot, dry summers with cool nights. Temperatures fall drastically when the sun sets, the breeze that falls from the Cajón del Maipo (Maipo Ravine) cools the vineyards.

SOIL
Alluvial soils with a sandy loam texture, good drainage, and depth ranging from 40 to 80 cm.

Rapel Valley

LOCATION
Located 124 kms south of Santiago, at the foot of the Andes Mountains.

CLIMATE
Strong temperature fluctuations between day and nighttime. The lower areas have a coastal climate with the strong influence of refreshing coastal breezes.

SOIL
Very deep colluvial soils of volcanic origin. The presence of different sized rocks on a clay base is the key factor for adequate drainage and strong water retention capacity.

Viña Casablanca is committed to creating quality wines with a unique personality. These must be the essence of the union of three elements that are indispensable in the production of terroir wines: soil, climate and vineyard management.
The process to produce Casablanca wines considers the complexity and importance of the natural climate factors, the influence of different soil types on character, and the way our plants are cared for, enriching our grapes in time.

Winemaker

Gonzalo Bertelsen is an agricultural engineer with a degree in Viticulture and Enology from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. In 2006 he completed a Masters Degree in Enology at the University of Adelaide in Australia.
During his career, he has worked for a number of Chilean wineries and has conducted various harvests for wineries in France (Bordeaux, Languedoc, Roussillon), Spain (Campo de Borja), USA (Napa Valley), Australia (Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale) and Argentina.