Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir 2022

From the coastal vineyards of the Aconcagua Valley, this Pinot Noir comes from plots located near the Pacific Ocean, in the cool Aconcagua Costa area. The vines are planted on poor soils mixing schist, clay, and metamorphic rocks, which favor moderate yields and great aromatic finesse. The maritime influence, with cool breezes and morning fogs, tempers temperatures and allows for slow ripening of the grapes, resulting in a wine with a marked balance between freshness, tension, and the expression of the Chilean coastal terroir.

The Pinot Noir grapes from the coastal Aconcagua vineyards are hand-picked, then sorted before a cold pre-fermentation maceration. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with gentle pump-overs to delicately extract color and tannins. After racking, the wine is put into mostly used French oak barrels, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and ages for several months, in order to preserve the purity of the fruit, the freshness, and the mineral expression typical of the maritime influence.

This wine reveals notes of fresh red fruits, raspberry, and cherry, complemented by floral touches evoking violet and rose, as well as spicy nuances of soft pepper and clove. Subtle woody accents, reminiscent of vanilla and light toast, blend with a discreet mineral framework. On the palate, the texture is delicate, with lively acidity, fine and silky tannins, and an elongated, precise, and refreshing finish.

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.