Novas Gran Reserva Carmenère Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley [Organic] 2019

Colchagua Valley has 20,000 hectares of plantations. These grapes grow under a unique climate, made by the Andes winds together with the coastal breeze, helping varieties such as Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen well. The average age of the vertically-positioned vines is 13 years, and they yield an average of 8 tons per hectare. The Colchagua Valley stands out for its Mediterranean climate with four well-defined seasons. The summers are hot and dry, which encourages proper ripening without interruptions. The valley ends at the Pacific Ocean, which has a positive effect on the vineyards because it cools the valley during the hot season. The grapes were picked into 400-kg bins and transported to the cellar where they were deposited onto conveyor belts for a double selection process before and after destemming. Vinification began with a 4–5-day pre-fermentation maceration at 8ºC. Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with 80% native and 20% commercial yeasts at 26º–27ºC with a pumpover program determined by enological criteria. Upon completion, the new wine remained on its skins for an addition 5 days of post-fermentation maceration. Malolactic fermentation took place naturally in stainless steel tanks and barrels, where the wine remained at controlled temperatures for 12 months. The wine was neither fined nor stabilized, and prior to bottling it was filtered through a 1-micron membrane. The wine was aged for 12 months, 40% in French oak barrels, 30% in American, and 30% in stainless steel tanks.