The grapes for our 2006 Max Reserva Merlot were sourced from our Max I and Max IV vineyards in the Aconcagua Valley. The region features an extended dry season with moderately warm summers cooled by soft afternoon breezes from the Pacific Ocean. The Max I vineyard was planted in 1978 with French clone 181, while in Max IV, French clone 346 Merlot was grafted onto Cabernet Sauvignon rootstocks in 1993. Both vineyards are planted on 5° slopes facing north and northeast. The soils in the Max I vineyard consist of a thin pulverized granite with very low vigour potential, while the Max IV soils show a deeper strata (1.2 m) of a clay-loam texture of colluvial origin with an absolute absence of stones. These soil profiles feature a low to medium vigour potential with an excellent balance between vegetative growth and crop load. The vines are trellised to vertical shoot position with spur or cane pruning depending on the variety and the terroir. Canopy management seeks to ensure excellent fruit exposure by creating an appropriate microclimate in the fruit zone. Vine management and low yields averaging 8 tons/ha (3.6 tons/acre) encourage the ripening of tannins and flavours.

CLIMATE:   Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall and a long dry                    season.
ALTITUDE: Max I (550 meters/1804 ft. above sea level); Max IV (520                    meters/1705 ft.).
PICKING DATE: 4th week of March & 1st half of April.

HISTORIC AVERAGES:
HEAT SUMMATION (Oct-Apr): 1,727 degree days (19ºC/66.2ºF cut-off) MEAN TEMPERATURE (Oct-Apr): 18.9ºC/66ºF
TEMPERATURE OSCILLATION (Oct-Apr): 18.5ºC (65.3ºF)
RAINFALL (year round): 250 mm/9.8 inches

Comparing the monthly temperatures from October 2005 to April 2006 (1,681 dg) with the previous 2004-2005 season (1,717 db), reveals that it was indeed a cold season. The difference was evident by December, when the average high temperatures dropped to approximately 4°F below the historic average for that month. This situation delayed the onset of the different phenological stages (elongation of shoots, flowering, fruit set, and veraison) by approximately 10 days, which in turn led to a slower ripening process. As a result, this vintage of Merlot conserves very good levels of acidity and shows an aromatic profile of elegant red fruit and very good typicity. The key to this season was patience in waiting for the right moment to harvest. This was aided by a late March and early April that were warmer than normal, which led to wines with ripe, well-rounded tannins and good structure.
Although the daily temperature oscillations were not particularly broad, they surpassed the historic average in the months prior to harvest (March-April) and approached 36°F, which had a positive influence on anthocyanin synthesis in the grapes and resulted in tremendous color intensity.
Fortunately we were not affected by precipitation, except for a half inch of spring rain in November that did not alter the health conditions of the vineyard.
The grapes were hand-picked throughout the month of April, carefully hand-sorted and gently crushed into stainless steel tanks. Approximately 70% of the grapes were cold macerated for a period of 4 to 6 days at 10ºC (50°F) for extra colour and flavour extraction. Following this stage, fermentation took place at 26°-30° C (79°-86°F), with three pumpovers per day. The total maceration time varied from 22 to 32 days, depending on the development of the individual lots.
All lots were aged for 12 months in oak barrels, 48% of which were new; 75% were French and 25% were American.
Attractive ruby red in colour, this wine features aromas that recall ripe red fruits such as cherries, complemented by a touch of caramel that melds with sweet spice notes of cloves and vanilla. Medium-bodied with good acidity, the soft and silky palate is wrapped in flavours of toffee and soft toast that linger on the pleasing finish.
Aconcagua Valley
89 % Merlot
11% Carmenčre
14.5 % by vol.
3.59
5.52 g/l (tartaric acid)
2.18 g/l (tartaric acid)