Viu Manent Malbec 2007

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Starting at: $11.64 USD

2 Reviews

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Winery:

Viu Manent

Varietal:

Malbec

Region:

Chile > Colchagua Valley

Type:

Red Wine

Color:

Drink Dates:

Drink Now

UPC:

 

User Tags:  petroleum, tar, strong, scent, herbaceous, style, easy, bright, purple, colorful 

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What to Expect

Malbec's origins as a blending grape and the core of the sometimes rustic wines of Cahors are quickly becoming forgotten as the grape becomes solidly associated with Argentina. A heat-loving variety of grape, it has always struggled to ripen in France. While still capable of producing a full-bodied rich wine, the tannins in these were formidable. In warmer climates the tannins are able to ripen fully, yielding rich, velvety wines packed with black spice notes and dark berry fruit.

Winemakers Notes

The Viu Manent wines come from the Colchagua Valley Appellation (D.O.). Located within the Rapel Valley sub-region of Chile's central zone, Colchagua Valley is 130 km (80 miles) southwest of Santiago, a corridor running east - west created by two transversal mountain chains of the Andes Mountain Range. The valley is closed by the Andes at the east end and opens up to the Coastal Range and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Coastal Range of Colchagua has an altitude of only 500 m (1,640 ft) above sea level, which permits the full influence of the ocean. Combined with the fresh breezes coming down read more...from the Andes, it creates an ideal microclimate characterized by great differences in temperatures between night and day (up to 22°C, 72 °F degrees). The climate is Mediterranean with well-defined seasons. Rainfall is concentrated in winter (May to August) totalling 600 mm/year (24 inches/year). Dry season extends from November to April, with an average maximum summer temperature of 28°C (83°F) and minimum average of 12°C (54°F). The Viu Manent watchwords are observation and management, starting with the growing of the grapes, considering the specific natural conditions within the different vineyards, controlled pruning, intensive canopy management, fruit management, limited irrigation, ecological phytosanitary management and permanent monitoring. Then to determine the commencement of the harvest, intensive testing and tasting of the grapes in the field is conducted. For white grapes, pre-fermentative maceration, direct pressing and whole-cluster pressing are performed, followed by natural settling of the must and fermentation with selected yeasts at low temperatures. Some selected musts are fermented or aged in French or American oak barrels. In some cases, malolactic fermentation is also performed. For red wines, fermentation is performed in small tanks. Selected and wild yeasts are used, applied by direct seeding and/or by the preparation of the nursery broth, designed as "pié de cuba". Fermentation is carried out at 28-30°C (83-87°F) together with careful "pumping over" and long post-fermentative maceration. A certain proportion of the wines are aged in French or American oak barrels of 225-litre capacity. Before bottling, delicate filtration and stabilization treatments are performed, resulting in the "least possible intervention", thus preserving the maximum original quality characteristics of the wine. The wines are bottle aged for a determined time period and then released to the world to show their attributes. The reds are very impressive for the price. Real Hershey bar magic on the Malbecs, bittersweet rasp, inky-damson fruit, and, praise-be, real fruit tannins. From forty-year-old vines and superb quality fruit these are the stars of the show. The Malbec Reserve is sourced from blocks with an average age of 40 to 50 years in San Carlos, Colchagua Valley. Intense violet in colour this wine delivers an impressive nose of moist earth, bitter chocolate and blackcurrant. In the mouth this wine is simply dripping with dollops of bitter chocolate and fig leading to big, round, sweet voluptuous tannins and culminating in a long lingering finish.    (hide)

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