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The grapes for our 2008 Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon came from our vineyards in
the Valle de Aconcagua just a few miles
from our flagship Don Maximiano Estate.
This region features a Mediterranean
climate where moderately warm summer
days and cooling afternoon breezes result
in a high diurnal temperature variation
(20°C/36°F) in the weeks prior to harvest.
This encourages high concentrations of
polyphenols (anthocyanins) and creates
wines with great colour intensity.
The vineyards soils are primarily alluvial
origin from the Aconcagua River and
generally have very good drainage
conditions. This alluvial base is topped
with varying depths of colluvial deposits
with low to medium vigour potentials. This
combination encourages balanced vine
growth and good maturation in the grapes.
Vineyard management includes drip
irrigation and cane pruning. Vertical shoot
positioning provides the vines with longer
solar exposure throughout the season and
encourages the development of high
quality fruit.
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The winter of 2007—one of Chile’s coldest
and driest in 40 years—had innumerable
effects on the 2008 vintage. The levels of
soil moisture in the spring were significantly
lower than in previous years and ultimately
resulted in delaying the harvest by 10–14
days with respect to the previous season.
In terms of temperatures, the spring—
measured from mid-October through
December—was colder than historic
averages for the area. From January
onward, however, the Valle de Aconcagua
experienced high temperatures that reached
up to 34°C / 93°F on some days in January
and then dropped to normal average
temperatures in February through April.
Covered canopies, non-restrictive water
management, and moderate fruit loads
ensured healthy fruit with good acidity,
freshness, and intensity.
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The grapes were hand-picked from late
April through the second week of May and
transported to the winery in bins. The fruit
was crushed into stainless steel tanks and
fermented immediately at 26°C - 30°C (79°-
86°F) with 2 pumpovers per day.
Because the grapes for this wine come
from different vineyards, post-fermentation
maceration time of the lots varied from 12
to 20 days of extended skin contact. 33% of
the wine was aged in French and American
oak barrels for 6 to 8 months, depending of
the development of individual lots to help
round out the wine and contribute to a sweet
mouthfeel. After the final blend was made,
the wine was cold settled and lightly filtered
before bottling.
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Our 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is
an attractive ruby-red with a nose that
shows pleasing notes of sour cherries and
strawberries intermingled with tobacco. The
juicy palate is medium-bodied with a solid
structure, a level of acidity that is very nicely
balanced by its firm yet sweet tannins, and a
pleasing finish.
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Valle de Aconcagua |
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100% Cabernet Sauvignon
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13.5° by vol. |
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3.61 |
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5.25 g/l (tartaric acid) |
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4.8 g/l |
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