Caliterra

Winemaker Comment

The intense color offers an attractive introduction followed by intense aromas that combine fruit such as fresh berries, and floral notes of violets and geraniums that have been so characteristic of Caliterra’s Malbec in recent years. The magnitude of essences has remained intact during the prolonged barrel aging, which lasted more than 15 months. Friendly, smooth, and flavorful, with good structure and an aromatic intensity that echoes long on the palate.

Vintage Note

The Colchagua Valley had a warm 2007–2008 season, with a recorded heat summation of 1,700 degree days, 6.4% above the previous year (1,598 degree days) and 2.4% higher than the historic average (1,660 degree days). The different phenological stages (flowering, fruit set, veraison, and ripening) were affected by the cold, dry winter (average monthly temperatures were lower than the previous season, accumulated more cold hours, and provoked winter frosts), which caused budbreak to occur 10–15 days later, but more uniformly, than in the previous season. The high temperatures recorded in January, February and March quickened the pace of ripening, leading to an early harvest, with a significant decrease in yields among red varieties.

Fermentation and Aging

Fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks at temperatures averaging 28°C (82°F), with a month of contact between the must and the lees in all, including pre- and post-fermentation macerations. The wine was then aged in French and American oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation occurred.