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Wine Description
The Story
Varieties: 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Carménère, 22% Merlot, 4% Syrah.
D.O: Apalta, Colchagua Valley
Soil: The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes used in this blend are from the high part of Apalta at an altitude of 480 metres. The Carménère is from halfway up the slopes at 350 metres above sea level and the Merlot is from the lowest part of the vineyard at 250 metres above sea level.
Vinification: The wine was made in a classic manner. First the grapes underwent a pre-fermentative maceration for 3 to 4 days at 8°C. Then the temperature was allowed to increase gradually and, when it reached 20°C, the fermentation began. Fermentation took from 6 to 8 days at a temperature of between 22°C and 28°C. The next stage was a post-fementation maceration with the skins for two to three weeks. The winemaker decided how long to leave the wine with its skins by tasting it daily to see how the flavours and tannins were behaving. Then the wine was racked into barrels, where it underwent malolactic fermentation. This process is very important as the barrels enable a micro oxygenation to take place, ensuring that the malolactic fermentation occurs slowly and the wood is well integrated into the wine.
Ageing: This wine was aged for 14 months in 225-litre extra-fine grain French barrels, 50% of them new and 50% of them one-year-old.
Serving: Best served at between 16°C and 18°C.
Food pairing: This wine pairs well with ripe cheese, roast red meat and well-seasoned dishes.
Wine Information
Alcohol: 14.0%
pH: 3.6
Acidity: 5.2 g/l (Tartaric acid)
Ageing potential: This wine can be stored for up to 10 years in optimum conditions.
Harvest: The grapes were hand-harvested into 12-kilo bins between April and May and then taken to the winery, where the clusters were carefully selected. Gravity was used to take the grapes to the tanks.
Vintage: Practically all of Chile's wine-producing areas experienced moderate to high temperatures during the ripening period in 2014. This meant that the grapes ripened quickly and the harvest began in early March. The lack of rain throughout the growing period meant that the grapes were very healthy, with good levels of acidity, fairly low levels of potential alcohol and their organoleptic qualities, aromas and tannins were at their best. The clusters were then transported and selected.
Tasting Notes: This wine is an intense red colour. The nose reveals red fruit, such as plums and raspberries, contributed mainly by the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, together with subtle notes of black fruit, such as blackberries and some spicy notes from the Carménère. It is concentrated in the mouth, with good structure and firm, silky tannins. This blend offers different layers of flavours, in which the firm tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon intermingle with the smoothness and complexity of the Carménère and the gentle elegance of the Merlot, while the touch of Syrah contributes a hint of black fruit and gives structure to the wine.