Vina Maipo Vitral Reserva Carmenere 2012
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Enjoy Vitral Carmenere with pasta, lean red meat, pork ribs, ripe cheese and pate.
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2013-
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Viña Maipo was founded in 1948 in the village of Maipo, the heart of Maipo Valley, a world-renowned region for producing wines of outstanding quality. Twenty years later, Chilean leader Concha y Toro, the largest Chilean wine group, acquired the winery, enhancing the quality of its wines and laying the foundations for its global spirit. In 2007, Max Weinlaub joined Viña Maipo as chief winemaker, giving way to a new strategy focused on developing world-class wines, expressive of their origin.
Viña Maipo sources from almost 5,000 acres of owned and grower vineyards, split approximately 60% (2,965 acres) between own vineyards and 40% (1,977 acres) from growers. Growers plant under close supervision by Weinlaub and his team, ensuring quality production across the spectrum; for the top wines, 100% are sourced from estate vineyards. Maipo Valley has a signature elegance and complexity, particularly near the village in upper Maipo, due to fluctuation in day-to-night temperatures between the Andes and the valley floor. The soils offer a combination of volcanic and alluvial influences and support different varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in alluvial areas, while Syrah is well-suited to volcanic conditions.
Maipo Valley accounts for 20% of the winery's total production (including estate and growers), and three wines (made principally from Cabernet and Syrah) are classified as D.O. Maipo. Viña Maipo also makes wines in the Central and Maule Valley, with all of the whites coming from excellent white-wine terroirs in Casablanca, Rapel and Maule. Overall, the winery pursues a sustainable approach with the aim of minimizing environmental impact through responsible practices such as water management and minimal treatments. For winemaker Max Weinlaub, sustainability is a key part of his "craftsmanship philosophy—a belief that every wine must be treated individually with a critical attention to detail.
Dark, full-bodied and herbaceous with a spicy kick, Carménère found great success with its move to Chile in the mid-19th century. However, the variety went a bit undercover until 1994 when many plantings previously thought to be Merlot, were profiled as Carménère. Somm Secret— Carménère is both a progeny and a great-grandchild of the similarly flavored Cabernet Franc.
Touching the Pacific in the west and stretching up into the Andes on its eastern side, the Rapel Valley is one of the more substantial fine red wine producing regions of Chile and contains both the Colchagua Valley in its south and west and the Cachapoal in its north and east. While it is recognized for its exceptional warm-climate reds, the region does produce some fine Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc on its coastal side.
Some of the country’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Rapel’s Andean foothills—with significant individualized smaller zones already identified. Soils here are mixtures of loam, clay, and sand; Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot are the most prolific varieties throughout the region.