Winemaker Notes
This wine displays a deep red color with violet hues. The nose reveals delicate aromas of violets, rose petals, black fruit, and a subtle touch of tobacco. On the palate, it offers a medium body with soft, polished tannins, bright acidity, and a long, fresh, and perfectly balanced finish.
A perfect match for filet mignon served with a rich mushroom and aceto balsamico risotto.
Blend: 85% Malbec, 25% Carmenere
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A more mineral, savory and intellectual red with olives, dried earth, blackcurrants, dried leaves, oyster shells and raw cocoa on the nose. Full-bodied with fine tannins and fresh saline and peppery undertones. Sleek, long and elegant finish. Old vine malbec and carmenere. Drink now or hold.
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Vinous
The 2021 Old Vine Series Las Cruces is a blend of Malbec with 25% Carménère planted in Pichidegua, Cachapoal Valley and aged for 8 months in old barrels before 85% spent 12 months in foudres. Purple in the glass. The nose presents violet and mint notes with layers of dried flowers, ash and plums. In the mouth, a harmonious structure is enhanced by the juicy, finely grained tannins. A modern style for De Martino.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Old Vine Series Las Cruces was produced with 75% Malbec and 25% Carmenere from Pichidegua in Cachapoal from vines planted on granite soils in 1957. The two varieties fermented together in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and then matured in neutral barrels, and after eight months, 85% of the volume was transferred to a 2,500-liter oak foudre, where it matured for a further 12 months. The vines were close to dying, so they decided the vineyard has to be irrigated twice per year; but until a few years ago, it was completely dry farmed. It has 13% alcohol and retained very good freshness and acidity. It has the austere and fine character I found in other wines from 2021, harvested a little earlier and from a cooler year. The wine has finesse and a sharp palate, but it's not very varietal. It's medium-bodied, balsamic and integrated. The grapes fermented together when the Malbec is ready and normally the Carmenere is a little unripe.
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.