Merlot Gran Reserva 2022

Name: Bodega Santa Ema - Merlot Gran Reserva - 2022
Brand: Bodega Santa Ema
Price: 19.8 EUR
Availability: InStock

Bodega Santa Ema

19,80 €

A velvety, indulgent Merlot Gran Reserva from the Maipo Valley, with notes of plum, vanilla and chocolate.

Chile

Red

13.5%

5 to 10 years

100% Merlot

750ml

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This Merlot comes from Santa Ema's vineyards in Isla de Maipo, planted along the banks of the Maipo River, in the heart of the valley of the same name. Located south of Santiago, in the Central Valley, this area is one of Chile's oldest and most classic wine regions. The river-shaped soils and the influence of the Andes give the grapes steady ripening, ideal for wines that are both concentrated and balanced, true to the expression of their terroir.

The 2022 vintage, after a dry winter, a cool spring and a mild summer that ended in heat, produced aromatic grapes with good acidity, harvested at the usual dates. The bunches are destemmed and then cold-macerated for three days, before an eight-day fermentation at around 26 °C, followed by six days of post-fermentation maceration. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for eight to ten months in French and American oak barrels, which bring complexity and structure.

This wine reveals notes of plum, blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrant, vanilla, caramel, chocolate and clove. The very fruity nose combines ripe black fruit with the indulgent, spicy notes from barrel ageing. The palate is supple and velvety, carried by ripe tannins and a fine structure. The balance is remarkable, and the round, persistent finish extends the fruit with elegance.

Where are we traveling?

Maipo Valley

It is located at the gates of Santiago, the Chilean capital, stretching from the southern suburbs of the city to the foothills of the Andes to the east and the coastal range to the west. The vineyard is divided into three distinct zones — Alto Maipo at altitude at the foot of the Andes, Maipo Central on the alluvial plains, and Maipo Costa open to Pacific influences — forming a gradient of remarkably diverse terroirs over barely 100 kilometers. Its viticultural history dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors planted the first vines, but it was in the mid-19th century that Maipo took off, when great Chilean families — the Concha y Toro, the Cousiño, the Errázuriz — brought Bordeaux vines and French oenologists to establish the estates that would forge the country's viticultural reputation. Chile's geographical isolation, protected by the Andes, the Pacific, and the Atacama Desert, spared the vineyards from phylloxera, and Maipo today preserves some of the New World's oldest ungrafted vines. The climate is semi-arid Mediterranean, hot and sunny in summer, cooled by cold winds descending from the Andes each evening and by morning mists from the ocean, offering ideal thermal amplitudes for slow and steady maturation. The soils range from stony alluvial deposits carried from the Andes to the calcareous clays of the lower sectors, as well as the granitic and volcanic rocks of Alto Maipo. Maipo Valley has established itself as the cradle and absolute benchmark of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, producing powerful, structured wines with an elegance that rivals the best Bordeaux, complemented by silky and spicy Carménère — a Bordeaux grape variety that disappeared in France and was rediscovered here — deep Syrahs, and ambitious blends that have placed Chile on the map of the world's greatest wines.

The little history of the country

Chile

It was Hernán Cortés who ordered the cultivation of vines upon the conquest of Mexico in 1524. It gradually spread from Mexico southward, reaching Chile in 1555. During the first three centuries of colonization, only país, a characterless and very productive black grape variety, was cultivated in Chile. It was not until the mid-19th century that noble varieties were introduced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, mainly. Twenty years later, winemaking was modernized under the impetus of wealthy landowners and French experts who had been forced out of work by phylloxera in Europe. Chile stretches 4,300 kilometers from north to south. It is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Atacama Desert to the north, and the Patagonian plains and glaciers to the south. These natural barriers prevented phylloxera from entering the country. Although the country is only 160 kilometers wide, it enjoys ideal conditions for growing grape varieties from warm, intermediate, and cool regions, so much so that it is often described as a vineyard paradise. With nearly 300 estates producing bottled wines, Chile ranks between 6th and 8th in the world.

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