Pétreo Malbec 2018 6x75cl

• 75cl bottle

This special Malbec, which comes from a unique terroir, is both complex and elegant right from the start. It shows several layers on the nose, with floral and spicy notes opening up its intriguing bouquet, followed by fresh aromas of forest fruits, such as myrtles and pomegranate. In the end, an underlying mineral quality emerges, reminding us of the stony origin of its terroir, as well as herbaceous and spicy touches of tarragon and black pepper. Very juicy, lively and fruity on the palate, with medium and deep structure. The unique texture of its tannins allows the wine to be both elegant and fresh, revealing its personality while tasting it.

Vineyards

Sourced from a South facing vineyard plot on the Caliterra estate, the vines are planted in a North East orientation to maximise the amount of sunlight the vines receive throughout the day. The Coastal Mountains are lower in Colchagua than anywhere else in the country allowing cool ocean breezes to enter the valley every afternoon, resulting in hot days and cool nights during the ripening season. The soil in the Pétreo vineyard is colluvial in its origin and granitic with ferric rock alteration.This terroir is one factor contributing to the unique nature of this wine.

Vintage

The 2018 season blessed us with ideal climatic conditions that favoured an increase in the yields of our vineyards. Temperatures ranged among the historic parameters, concluding the season of moderate temperatures, allowing a very balanced ripeness and a beautiful, even harvest, along with perfect sanitary conditions in our grapes and generous in complex flavours. Spring kicked off with slightly lower temperatures than the historic ranges and some light rains in October. Nevertheless, bud break occurred in mid-October just as expected, and evenly all across our vineyard. Heat summation until December, on the other hand, was similar than historic ranges, anticipating than the season would not deliver major surprises. Some cloudy days and a summer with no surprises, along with water reserves in the soil prole, allowed a very good fruit set, followed by an outstanding veraison period, which occurred among the historic dates and in a quite short period of just 10 days. By the beginning of February, bunches already exhibited 70% of the veraison. March and April were slightly colder than usual, providing the ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen in a normal, gentle pace. The perfect sanitary conditions that prevailed all along the season enabled an ideal ripeness in all the varieties planted in our vineyard. With no rains on the horizon, harvest developed during the historical dates, delivering superb quality fruit and an overall production of 7% above the expected. In all, we witnessed an outstanding season in every sense of the way.

Winemaking

Fermentation: 65% in stainless steel tanks 35% in French barrels 5% used Barrel Ageing: 100% aged for 18 months 45% in barrels of second and third use 55% in clay anphoras

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Pizza/Pasta
• Salads and Picnics
• Casseroles/Stews
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses

A big bowl of spaghetti & meatballs in a rich tomato sauce.