Winemaker Notes
The bouquet is intense with ripe dark fruits intertwined with hints of cedar spice and cocoa on the nose. It is full-bodied and complex with good acidity and firm tannins; fruit and oak flavors are well integrated giving the wine a rounded, elegant finish. This field blend consisting of predominantly Malbec blended with Carmenere is aged 14 months in large oak barrels known as foudres.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of spice, dark berry and slate. Full body, light silky tannins and a savory finish. Salty and minerally. Making it right. Mostly from dry-farmed malbec, 60 years old. Real deal. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Cachapoal example from the single vineyard range is the 2013 Old Bush Vines Las Cruces; this is sourced from a 2.8-hectare plot planted with a Malbec-dominated field blend with some 25% Carménère in 1957. The soils are alluvial terraces south of the Cachapoal river on a Mediterranean climate zone, where they still manage to dry farm the vineyard. They obtained very low yields in 2013 (around 50% of the average). 2013 is the first vintage when they have had full control of the grapes, as they finally purchased the vineyards from the previous owner, so they feel that all of that has had an effect in getting much more precise fruit. That and that the vintage was fresh and almost perfect for the style they are looking for, and it displays all those textbook violet aromas mixed with something earthy, a little leafy, somehow austere but elegant and really defined. The palate is really compact with great balance between acidity, ultra-refined tannins and a level of sophistication that is really impressive. As with the rest of the range, fermentation is natural and the élevage is in 5,000-liter oak foudres. 6,600 bottles were produced.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.