The grapes for our 2006 Carmenère Single Vineyard are sourced from our Max V vineyard at the Don Maximiano Estate in the Aconcagua Valley, which features an extended dry season with moderately warm summer days cooled by soft afternoon breezes that blow in from the Pacific Ocean. The Don Maximiano Estate Carmenère vineyard was planted in 1992 and is trellised to vertical shoot position. Carmenère is a vigorous variety and special care must be taken to achieve good balance between vigour and crop load. It is also a late-ripening variety with a high concentration of pyrazines, which are expressed with green pepper characteristics if harvested too early. To ensure that the grapes ripen fully, leaves are pulled 5-6 weeks prior to harvest to allow the autumn sunlight to penetrate the canopy into the fruit zone. This helps the grapes ripen, eliminates herbaceous aromas, and maximizes the fruit’s flavours and aromas.

CLIMATE: Mediterranean, with a long, dry season and winter rainfall.
ALTITUDE: Max V (560 meters / 1,837 feet above sea level).
SOIL: Deep soil of alluvial origin; loam to sandy-loam texture with a 50% stone compound.
PICKING DATE: Mid-may

HISTORIC AVERAGES:
HEAT SUMMATION (Oct-Apr): 1,727 degree days (19ºC/66°F cut-off).
MEAN TEMPERATURE (Oct-Apr): 18.9ºC (66ºF)
TEMPERATURE OSCSCILLATION (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 this 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. The key to success this year was to recognize the season’s special climatic conditions early on because this late-ripening variety needs at least 1600 degree-days to ripen sufficiently with optimally smooth tannins. In general, we observed good levels of acidity in the wines, good structure on the palate, and elegant aromatic profiles of ripe fruit rather than the more typical spice notes. This was aided by the fact that April (early autumn) was warmer than usual, which allowed us to postpone harvest until the grapes reached optimal maturity. Fortunately, we were not affected by rainfall this season, except for 12 mm (.47 inch) that fell in November and that did not affect vineyard health.
Hand-picked grapes were carefully selected on a sorting table and the fruit was then gently deposited into stainless steel tanks for fermentation at 26°-30°C (79°-86ºF), depending on the desired level of extraction and seasonal conditions (microbiological load and potential alcohol). During fermentation regular aerative pumpovers were carried out in order to keep the cap wet and achieve complete extraction of the anthocyanins, tannins, and aromas from the skins, which provides the wine with the desired structure, backbone, and aromas. These aerative pumpovers are particularly important in Carmenère because they polymerize reactive tannins, eliminate herbaceous traces, and encourage colour set. Maceration lasted approximately 25 days, after which the wine was racked directly to oak barrels, (79% new, 79% French and 21% American) and aged for twelve months. Fining occurred naturally as the wine settled during this time.
Deep plum-red in colour with the classic traits of the variety. The nose is ripe but complex; with aromas that recall fresh blackberries and notes of sweet spice. A swirl of the glass reveals a light touch of black pepper that lends complexity and elegance.
The voluminous palate is complemented by a soft, creamy texture with well-rounded tannins in this big-bodied wine. The flavour of roasted red pepper subtle toasted notes linger long on the finish, confirming the sweetness and depth achieved this year in our Carmenère from Lot 4 of our Max V vineyard.
Aconcagua Valley
Don Maximiano Estate
100% Carmenčre
14.5% by vol.
3.56
5.33 g/l (tartaric acid)
2.17 g/l