Viu Manent Merlot Colchagua Valley Chile 2008

Winemaker's 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 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. Take the Merlot, deep ruby red in colour this wine bursts forth with a nose redolent of ripe plum, fig and cinnamon. In the mouth complex notes of spice, dark chocolate and mocha marry perfectly with a hint of sweet vanilla. Abundant yet soft tannins result in a long finish.