The Story
A young Merlot with six months American oak aging. Elegant, refined with marked fruitiness and spicy black pepper: irresistible to Merlot lovers; harmonious and soft on the palate. Aurelio decided to add 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, to marry better with the oak, adding structure and finesse that also gives the wine ageing potential.
VINEYARDS
The vineyards are located in the Colchagua Valley, and the soils are derived from granite with different degrees of weathering, vast areas of moderate depths of red clay and little organic matter. This type of soil has moderate moisture retention due to the depth of the stones and alluvial sediments. Our Merlot grows on flat ground no more than 120 m (394 ft) above sea level. The vines have a north-northwest orientation and are vertically positioned and double guyot pruned with shoots no longer than 40 inches (101 cm) long. Vineyard density is 5,555 plants/hectare (2,250 plants/acre) to obtain yields of approximately 10 tons/ha (4 tons/acre).
Irrigation was regulated in the final stages of the season in order to reach harvest with small berries and optimal levels of sugar and color to result in greater concentration and volume in the wine.
Wine Information
Alcohol: 13.5%
pH: 3.59 g/l
Total Acidity: 3.23 g/l
Residual Sugar: 2.50 g/l
Oak Aging: 45% of the wine was aged for 8 months in first-use French oak.
Vineyard Yield: 10 tons/hectare (4 tons/acre)
HARVEST
Harvest Period: March 20–May 11
Vintage Report: The weather during the 2012–2013 season began with a cooler-than-normal spring that delayed the onset of budbreak and flowering with respect to the previous season. December was also rather cold, and rain in the central zone resulted in a vigorous elongation of the berries that caused the bunches to be heavier. A cold January set veraison back, and rainfall put the quality of the most sensitive grapes at risk.
Our Merlot survived with great success and reached harvest with controlled loads and loose bunches that hung free of the plants, which helps prevent the diseases that can appear with the presence of water. February presented some unusually high temperatures, which put the ripening at a par with that of 2012. Irrigation was nearly unnecessary because the precipitation left sufficient moisture in the soil for the ripening period. The grapes reached harvest in healthy condition without signs of dehydration.