Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Winemaker Notes
The grapes for Root:1 are hand picked from two of Chile's most well known viticultural regions, Maipo and Colchagua. The wine is grown, harvested, blended, and bottled to create a balanced, fruit forward, expressive Cabernet true to the terroir of Chile's best viticultural regions.
The 2003 vintage was dry and warm with low yields, perfect for red wines with good tannin maturity, nice development of flavors, and good concentration. This vintage is one of the best years in the last decade for red wines.
Taste the pure essence of Chile’s incomparable viticulture. Produced from estate vineyards located across the best appellations to achieve the ultimate expression for each varietal, Root:1 wines are unmatched in quality and taste. Root:1 is especially unique in that the geography of Chile makes it one of the few regions in the world unaffected by phylloxera. Root:1 grapes are grown from ungrafted rootstock, producing wines with intense fruit, flavor and authentic varietal character.
Their vineyards were the first to be certified 100% sustainable by Wines of Chile, and they’re the first winery in the nation to adopt carbon offset measures. By utilizing sustainable techniques to manage vine growth, provide proper irrigation, and honor the unique attributes of each site, they’re guaranteeing not only the quality of their product but also the longevity and health of the land around us and the community that makes their vineyards possible.
Whether it’s forming new relationships or strengthening existing ones, their wines are made to be shared with the ones you love most. Root:1 brings people together to create memorable experiences, no matter the occasion.
Dramatic geographic and climatic changes from west to east make Chile an exciting frontier for wines of all styles. Chile’s entire western border is Pacific coastline, its center is composed of warm valleys and on its eastern border, are the soaring Andes Mountains.
Chile’s central valleys, sheltered by the costal ranges, and in some parts climbing the eastern slopes of the Andes, remain relatively warm and dry. The conditions are ideal for producing concentrated, full-bodied, aromatic reds rich in black and red fruits. The eponymous Aconcagua Valley—hot and dry—is home to intense red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.
The Maipo, Rapel, Curicó and Maule Valleys specialize in Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends as well as Carmenère, Chile’s unofficial signature grape.
Chilly breezes from the Antarctic Humboldt Current allow the coastal regions of Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley to focus on the cool climate loving varieties, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Chile’s Coquimbo region in the far north, containing the Elqui and Limari Valleys, historically focused solely on Pisco production. But here the minimal rainfall, intense sunlight and chilly ocean breezes allow success with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The up-and-coming southern regions of Bio Bio and Itata in the south make excellent Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Spanish settlers, Juan Jufre and Diego Garcia de Cáceres, most likely brought Vitis vinifera (Europe’s wine producing vine species) to the Central Valley of Chile sometime in the 1550s. One fun fact about Chile is that its natural geographical borders have allowed it to avoid phylloxera and as a result, vines are often planted on their own rootstock rather than grafted.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.