The grapes for our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé were carefully selected from different blocks of our vineyards in the Rapel Valley, one of the most innovative winegrowing regions and with great potential for first-class red wines in the heart of Chile’s Central Valley. The vertically trellised, drip-irrigated vineyards are high-density planted on well-drained sandy soils with a northern solar exposure. Climatic conditions such as cool nights and warm days allow grapes to ripen more slowly than in other Central Valley areas and allow the grapes to develop high-quality features such as deep colours, fruity character and well-balanced structure. The winter of 2007 was cold and dry, as was early spring, which uniformly delayed budbreak by 10 to 15 days compared to the previous season. By late spring the weather in the Central Valley had turned quite warm, which hastened flowering and shortened the shoot growth period. These conditions plus drier than usual soils due to the lack of winter rain resulted in a season with generally low vigour, shorter shoots, and smaller canopies. Close vineyard monitoring and careful management at every stage allowed us to maintain the balance between sugar levels and tannin ripeness to delay a harvest that showed signs of being an early one. From January on, temperatures as high as 34°C (93°F) were recorded, with high average temperatures that continued until April. This increased the season’s overall heat summation throughout the entire zone and surpassed the previous year’s records. Harvest eventually arrived more than a week earlier than usual when compared to historic dates for the Central Valley. Yields in some red varieties were lower than usual, which in turn led to greater concentrations of tannins and flavours. Once the grapes reached their optimum level of ripeness, they were picked, destemmed, and crushed. They were then transferred to stainless steel tanks for a 24-hour pre-fermentation maceration to give the must a slight tinge of colour before bleeding off 5-10% of the volume of each tank. The must obtained through this process was centrifuged and fermented clean at 12°-15°C (54°-59°F) under rigorous conditions that protected against oxygen contact. Fermentation was halted early in some lots to allow a small amount of residual sugar and fruitier aromas to remain in the wine. After the lots were blended, the final wine was stabilized, filtered and bottled as quickly as possible. Very attractive pink colour. The nose features strawberries, ripe raspberries, and cherries. The soft and well rounded palate shows pleasing volume and ends with a persistent finish. Central Valley 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 13.0% by vol. 3.28 6.50 g/l (tartaric acid) 5.01 g/l