Vinicola Salton Classic Cabernet Sauvignon

This Cabernet Sauvignon is made by Vinicola Salton in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the far south of Brazil. It blends grapes from two complementary regions: Serra Gaúcha, an area of hills and valleys where Brazil's winemaking tradition is concentrated, and Campanha Gaúcha, further south near the Uruguayan border, with drier, sunnier summers. This dual origin produces a fresh, fruity wine.

The grapes are destemmed and then sent to stainless-steel tanks, where alcoholic fermentation takes place with daily pump-overs. The wine then undergoes spontaneous clarification and racking, followed by malolactic fermentation. Finally, it is centrifuged, stabilised and filtered before bottling, in order to preserve the purity and brightness of its fruit.

This wine reveals notes of cherry, blackcurrant, raspberry, blackberry, plum, black pepper, clove and fresh herbs. Red and black fruit dominate the bouquet, lifted by a peppery touch characteristic of the variety. The palate is fresh and fruity, supple and easy, with light tannins and a clean finish.

Brazil's vineyards were born in the south of the country with the arrival of the first settlers fleeing Madeira and the Azores in 1532. It was in 1825, after the country's independence, that the Brazilian wine trade developed. German immigrants were the first to plant vines, followed by the Portuguese, then the French and Italians. Devastated in the 19th century by diseases thriving in the humid Atlantic climate, the European grape varieties were replaced by resistant North American varieties. These still cover 80% of the vineyard area but are falling out of favour. Over the past ten years or so, a new generation of winegrowers making terroir-driven wines has been bringing a breath of creativity. The country has a less formal approach to wine, less strict regulations and a vast territory to explore, all of which fire the imagination of its winemakers. It is hard to define the style of Brazilian wines because they mirror the country: multicultural. The sheer size of the territory means a great variety of soils and microclimates, which give the wines their diversity and point to huge potential in terms of quality.