Viña Los Vascos

2017 Harvest marked by dryness and high temperatures

The season was marked by very high temperatures from the start, i.e., from September, which brought the harvest forward by 20 days.
With annual precipitation of approximately 300 mm (540 mm in 2016), the vines required early spring irrigation.
Temperatures were in the normal range in winter, with an average high of 21ºC and an average low of -1ºC.
Spring passed by almost unnoticed due ...

Grape vines were planted in the north of Chile in the 16th century, in the wake of the Spanish conquistadors. Production expanded rapidly and the country was soon exporting to Peru, challenging imported wines from Spain. The Echenique family, of Basque origin, planted vineyards in the Peralillo area of the Colchagua province around 1750 and in the 19th century, the same family was part of the rapid expansion that took place in Chilean wines, a...

Planted in a single block, the vineyard is located at 34°30’ latitude and 71°30’ longitude, 40 km from the Pacific Ocean and 200 km to the southwest of Santiago. With 640 hecatres, it is one of the largest vineyards in the central Colchagua valley, at the foot of Mount Cañeten.

The soil is of volcanic origin, consisting of sandy-clay soil and granitic sand. The vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Carmenère (5%), Syrah (4%), M...

Harvests are still carried out mainly by hand. For LE DIX and the Grande Reserve, the grapes are harvested into small crates to enable an initial sorting before they are placed in tanks. The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are vinified in vats at low temperature to preserve their fresh flavours; they are bottled shortly after fermentation. The Cabernet Sauvignon involves close monitoring of the temperature in stainless steel vats.

Grape...