Located west of Santiago and just 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Casablanca Valley enjoys a coastal influence that moderates temperatures during the ripening period. The fresh sea breeze enables easy, gradual ripening that encourages the conservation of the grapes’ aromas and flavours and ensures desirable levels of acidity. These conditions make the Casablanca Valley a privileged place for producing cool climate varieties such as Chardonnay. The vineyard features clay and sandy loam soils with low vigour. It was planted in 1997 with the 96, 458, and Mendoza clones, which produce different styles of fruit that enhance the complexity of the final blend. Vineyard management includes drip irrigation and vertical shoot positioning. Our aim is to obtain a density of 18 buds per metre, for in yields close to 8 ton/ha balanced by adequate vegetative growth. CLIMATE: Moderately warm summer days with morning fog and cool                  afternoon breezes. Rainfall occurs mainly in winter. SOIL:        Fine clay and sandy-loam soils with low vigour potential. PICKING DATE: First week of April 2007. HISTORIC AVERAGES: HEAT SUMMATION (Oct-Apr): 1,460 degree days. (19ºC / 66.2ºF cut-off). MEAN TEMPERATURE (Oct-Apr): 17.1ºC / 63ºF (19°C / 66.2°F cut-off) TEMPERATURE OSCILLATION (Oct-Apr): 18.3ºC / 65ºF RAINFALL (year round): 450mm / 17.7 inches The 2006-2007 season was relatively cold, as the temperature records demonstrate. The final heat summation of 1,401 degree days was very close to the prior cold season and 60 degree-days lower than the average of the past 6 years. Analyzing the temperatures month by month allows us to see particularities with respect to previous years. Bud break came 10 days early, which fortunately did not expose the vines to frosts. The months of October and November were warmer than in a normal year. Although conditions were warmer early in the season, the subsequent ripening period was cold, and the average high temperatures for the final six months (Dec–March) were lower than the historic averages. As a consequence, the grapes ripened very slowly, which was excellent for conserving the natural aromas and acidity. The grapes for the 2007 Chardonnay Wild Ferment were hand picked into 14 kg boxes early in the morning in early April and transported to the winery while they were still cool. Bunches were rigorously selected to guarantee optimum fruit quality and then gently whole-cluster pressed. The must was cold-decanted in stainless steel tanks to ensure clean musts before beginning fermentation. Wild fermentation is a process carried out using native yeasts. Since the yeasts are not selected using technological criteria (SO2 resistance, alcohol resistance, etc), they experience higher stress during fermentation. This effect and the presence of a greater variety of yeast strains produces different concentrations and proportions of by products, adding distinctive flavours –and therefore more complexity– to the wine. Fermentation took place at 14°-22°C (57.2°F-71.6°F) and approximately 70% of the final blend was further enhanced with malolactic fermentation. The entire blend was aged “sur-lie” for 10 months in French oak barrels (17% new), cold settled for 4 weeks at -3°C (26.6°F), and then bottled in January 2008. Light straw yellow in colour, our 2007 Wild Ferment Chardonnay is particularly complex on the nose and palate. With good intensity, it delivers notes that range from toast to nuts to aromas that recall tropical fruits such as pineapple and cherimoya. There’s a light touch of smoke and ash lingering in the background that lead to an outstanding palate that nicely blends crisp acidity with a sweetish sensation. Medium-bodied and creamy on the palate, with flavours that are consistent with the nose. Fresh and elegant, with a delightfully long finish. Casablanca Valley La Escultura Estate 100% Chardonnay 13.5% by vol. 3.33 6.76 g/l (tartaric acid) 2.64 g/l