Production
40km southeast of Valparaiso, the Casablanca Valley is a pre-littoral valley on the region’s coastal plain with close to 4,000 hectares planted to vine. It is characterized by its privileged climate for white varieties, especially for Chardonnay. The grapes ripen slowly in this area, which allows them to produce very aromatic and fruity wines and very expressive flavours. These grapes come from small blocks where the fruit is of a particularly high quality. The valley’s temperate-to-warm climate has a maritime influence due to coastal breezes that moderate temperatures. In the summer, they cool the air and maintain an average temperature of 26°C (79°F). The area has no threat of frost for approximately 10 months of the year. Soil is alluvial with sandy-loam texture and moderate fertility. The grapes were harvested manually and bunches are checked on a sorting table and then placed without destemming in a pneumatic press, where they were pressed gently. Before decanting, the must was kept cold on its lees for six days. Fermentation takes place spontaneously with native yeasts in the barrels, foudres, and egg-shaped concrete tanks. After finishing fermentation, the wines is kept unracked in the same vessels until the final blend before bottling. The wine remains on its lees for 9 months, 60% in French barrels, 16% in French 2,000-liter wood foudres, 15% in ovoid concrete vats, and the remaining 9% in stainless steel tanks.
Tasting notes
Has aromas of cold salted butter with a gentle veil of white pepper. A generous palate weight with notes of almond skin, salted butter, vanilla and crème fresh. There is a seam on saline minerality in the long finish.
Food match
This serious structured effortless wine deserves fine hard cheese or a poulette if you can find one and if not your best roast chicken.