Caliterra

Winemaker Comment

Deep and lively in color with an exuberantly fruity nose. This is one of the most concentrated versions in recent years and offers up aromas of berries, plums, prunes, and a bit of coconut and caramel. Silky and mouth-filling on the palate with just enough nerve to balance the warmth and sweetness of the tannins.

Vintage Note

Our vineyards were worked in sectors, which is an approach to our vineyard that consists of rationally separating the different plots according to the variance in heterogeneity generated by the diversity in the soils. We use the latest technology and multispectral images to determine the state of maturity on a plant by plant basis and then harvest uniform sectors of fruit that are taken to the cellar and begin their own route to the bottle rather than being mixed into a mass of grapes of varying degrees of ripeness. This requires a very close degree of separation of sub-lots, such as occurs naturally the variations of the soil beneath the plants.

We worked very carefully with the roots of the vines this season and will continue to do so because root systems need time to adjust. We have also begun to harvest a bit earlier, although keeping in tune with what we taste in the grapes from this varietal. The fruit is ripening a bit earlier than in the past, which helps us create wines that are fresher and a slightly lower alcohol level.

Fermentation and Aging

Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures that initially varied between 28º and 30ºC (82º-86ºF) and later dropped to 26ºC (79ºF) to prevent over-extraction of the skins. Both natural and selected yeasts were used to increase the complexity of the blend. 80% of the new wine was aged in oak barrels for 9-12 months, depending on the development of the individual lots, and malolactic fermentation occurred during this time.