Caliterra

Harvest Report

The 2010-2011 season registered a lower heat summation in every zone with respect to the historic average. Viñedo Caliterra was a special case in that by February 2011 it presented a 27% fewer degree days than in the average of the three previous years. March and April presented temperatures close to the historic averages, which helped the vines reach good phenolic maturation in the later-ripening red varieties such as Cabernet, Syrah, and especially, Carmenere.

Tasting Notes

This wine is a deep bluish-ruby-red in color. The nose shows tremendous aromatic intensity, with aromas of berries and violets accompanied by notes of coffee and tobacco that lend complexity. Voluptuous and big bodied on the palate, with fresh fruit flavors and vibrant acidity that suggests a long life ahead for this wine.

Fermentation and Aging

As is ussually the case, once again the polygonal work in the vineyard was crucial this season. This consists of rationally separating the vineyard by heterogeneity, in accordance with differences generated by the diversity of the soils. With the help of the latest technology and using multispectral images, we are able to identify the plants’ state of maturity and harvest the fruit polygonally, separating it by uniform blocks to begin its process toward the bottle rather than in a mass of grapes with different levels of ripeness.
This season it was particularly important to manage the harvest very carefully because the fruit ripened late, and the selection of just the right level of maturity per lot allowed us to obtain wines with tremendous fruit expression, the proper roundness of the palate, and an excellent balance of freshness.
Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks, beginning at 28ºC (82ºF) and then dropping to 24ºC (75ºF) to prevent over extraction from the skins.
The wine was aged in oak barrels for 10 months, during which time malolactic fermentation took place.

Winemaker’s Notes

This was a cooler season in the Caliterra vineyard. Lower temperatures and less sun delayed the harvest by 10-15 days with respect to a normal year.
Therefore, this will be a great year in terms of quality for our Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, because the fruit was able to ripen under very good conditions. The mild temperatures, proper luminosity, and cool breezes that produced a slow but steady concentration of aromas and flavors are tasted in the glass today.