93 Points Descorchados
This is a combination of two vineyards, one 24 kilometers from the sea, on alluvial soils and with a calcareous component, and the other is the Talinay Vineyard, whose soils have a strong limestone component and which is closer to the sea, about 12 kilometers away. After 10 months of aging in barrels, this wine smells of ripe red fruits and flowers with a strong earthy note that expands on the palate and almost monopolizes the flavors. It’s tense in tannins, and it has the rough texture of a pinot—as it should be. Save this red for pasta with meatballs.
Winemaker Notes
A delicious, mouthwatering delicate Pinot Noir with smoky plum and redcurrant and hints of strawberry on the nose. The palate has more smokey fresh red fruit with a clean almost scented finish. Fresh citrus acidity helps to provide backbone and a gentle, soft silky finish.
30% of the grapes for this wine come from the Talinay vineyard and 70% from the Espinal vineyard. The Talinay vineyard is situated in a very special area, 12km from the Pacific Ocean, where there is a constant cool sea breeze. These extraordinary conditions mean that we experience much lower temperatures than the rest of the valley. The Espinal vineyard is located 24km from the coast. It is windy in the afternoons and is technically classed as a cool area for wine production. The Talinay vineyard is planted on calcareous soils where the rock is limestone. This is a place with a geological phenomenon that is unique in Chile. This has come about because it is an ancient marine terrace that is now on the surface. It has a very porous, fractured limestone soil, which enables the roots to easily explore the rock, which in turn acts as a hydric regulator and an extraordinary source of calcium carbonate. The Espinal vineyard is located on an alluvial terrace that reveals different levels of clay at the surface. This gives way to a matrix of alluvial soil (volcanic rock which was rounded by erosion as it was carried many kilometres from high up in the Andes mountains). This soil is very stony but has veins of limestone in the form of dust, mainly consisting of calcium carbonate. The grapes were hand-harvested into 20kg-bins to avoid any damage to the fruit. The harvest began in the first week in April, when this variety had reached the optimum phenolic ripeness. The clusters were later very carefully selected, then destemmed and selected one last time. Then they were subject to a cold soak for 8 days at 8°C, before continuing on to the alcoholic fermentation in small stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. Next came a second maceration, lasting 3 days. This wine was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.
