Description
GENERAL CLIMATE CONDITIONS OF RAPEL VALLEY Rapel Valley is located in the central part of Chile, including the sub valleys of Cachapoal and Colchagua. It exhibits a semiarid Mediterranean climate with a winteronly rainfall pattern. During the growing season, we have warm and dry days and pleasantly cool nights as a result of cold breezes coming from the Andes Mountains. Rapel has also a cool influence from the Pacifics Humboldt Current which lowers temperatures in the coastal areas of the valley. This leads to warm days with ample sunlight and dry conditions, allowing for a slow ripening period. Our cabernets have an expressive nose and a pleasant structure.THE SOIL The soils throughout Rapel are from alluvial or coluvial origin with variable layers of clay, and good drainage.VINTAGE CONDITIONS IN 2012 This 2012 vintage brought great conditions for growing our Casa Grand Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. Rains were recorded during this harvest season, and high temperatures during the summer and fall resulted in earlier than normal ripening and harvest. The winter 2011 was much drier than usual. In fact it was the driest in the last 10 years. October and november were just a little bit warmer and permitted a nice flowering of our grapevines. Summer started warmer than usual in december. However cool nights refreshed the ambient, raised air humidity, producing more color in the berries and preserve their natural acidity. So finally we harvested the red varieties 3 weeks earlier than usual to achieve the right level of ripeness.WINEMAKING All the grapes were hand harvested in small cases of 14 kilos and carefully transported to the winery in Colchagua. We obtained clean and pure fruit with strict quality control thanks to the state of the art technology our Vistalys optical berries selection. Then all the grapes were gently macerated with a very delicate extraction, obtaining elegant structure, nice aromas and very good color. Fermentation lasted about 2 weeks in stainless steel tanks, only with native yeast. After maceration 62% of the wine was aged in 225 lt. French oak barrels second and third use mostly.TASTING NOTES Color Intense purple color. Nose Expressive nose full of fresh red fruit aromas such as plum and cherries. Palate Fresh attack and a medium body. Finishing with very juicy tannins. Service and Food Pairing Serve at 16C 60F. The ideal companion for pastas with red sauces, marinated pork and grilled red meat well seasoned.VINEYARD Growers 61% Lapostolle vineyard in Rapel Las Kuras in Cachapoal and Apalta in Colchagua. 39% Long term contract growers in Rapel.AGEING Fermentation 100% Stainless Steel. Ageing 62% of the blend was aged in French oak of different uses for 4 months. 38% was aged in stainless steel tanks.Natural malolactic fermentation was done in tanks. Barrel use French Oak Barrels of 225L second and third use mostly. Coopers Saury, Radoux, Taransaud, Seguin,Moreau and Sylvain. Most medium tost. – Casa Lapostolle
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