Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva 2016

Located in the heart of Luján de Cuyo, in the Mendoza wine region, Caelum's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva reflects the excellence of a clay-limestone terroir perched at an altitude of 1,000 meters. The vineyard, benefiting from a semi-arid continental climate marked by generous sunshine and cool nights, provides ideal conditions for the slow and balanced maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon. This temperature range favors aromatic concentration and fine tannins, while the altitude gives the wine its natural freshness and elegance that distinguishes the region's great vintages.

Vinification begins with a five-day cold pre-fermentation maceration, designed to preserve the purity of the aromas. Alcoholic fermentation, carried out for twenty days using selected yeasts, takes place in stainless steel vats with three daily pumping overs to promote extraction. After malolactic fermentation, the wine benefits from an extended aging of twenty months on lees in new 300-liter French oak barrels. This long period of aging in barrels, combined with constant care, gives the wine a robust structure and remarkable depth, while enriching its aromatic palette with complex nuances.

This wine reveals notes of blackcurrant , blackberry , black plum , cedar , black pepper , vanilla , blond tobacco and cocoa bean . On the palate, the ample and velvety attack opens with a dense substance, supported by firm but elegant tannins. The freshness from the altitude balances the power, while the finish stretches long on accents of smoke and undergrowth , highlighting the complexity and elegance of this great wine for laying down.

Although Argentina is considered the "New World," its winemaking tradition is much older than one might think, dating back to the time of Spanish colonization in the 16th century and later to Italian settlers. Unlike Chile, wine has long been a part of the country's culture. No wine-producing country in the world made more progress in the final years of the 20th century (in terms of viticulture and oenology, and necessarily financially), which allowed the country's wine producers to raise quality levels and successfully consolidate an international export market. Argentina has now become the fifth largest wine-producing country in the world, after France, Italy, Spain, and the United States. Viticulture is practiced mainly in the foothills of the Andes, and more specifically in Mendoza, where desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to give rise to aromatic and intensely perfumed wines. Some vineyards can even be planted up to 3,000 meters above sea level! The terroir here is well-suited to Argentina's adopted grape variety: the ubiquitous Malbec. Originally from Bordeaux, it is now responsible for some of Argentina's most famous wines, characterized by their brightness and intensity, with floral notes and black fruit flavors. Other red varieties produced in Argentina include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir. Among white wines, the emblematic grape of the Argentine wine region is Torrontés, which produces a wine with a floral and tropical flavor. The country also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Today, Argentine wines are recognized worldwide for their full-bodied reds and as high-quality wines.