Country: Chile  Region: Colchagua Valley   Category: Red Wine  Coluor: Red  Varietal: Carmenere  PRODUCERMontes was established in 1988 by Aurelio Montes, DouglasMurray, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand, with the aim ofproducing the best wines in Chile from the best regions. TheMontes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, first produced in 1987, brokethe mould for premium wines in Chile. Since then, Alpha hasdeveloped to become the core range in the Montes portfolio. Thegrapes and sites are carefully selected in order to ensure varietalintegrity and complexity. Viticulture is hands on rather thanmechanical or industrial. VINEYARDSThe Carmenère grapes come from Montes' own vineyards inApalta and Marchigüe, arguably two of the finest sites in theColchagua Valley. The sites are irrigated via a 'Sustainable DryFarmed' system which allows for precise and minimal irrigating. InApalta, vines are planted on 45° slopes, providing good exposureto achieve ripeness. Cool ocean breezes and low night-timetemperatures help to moderate this warm area, allowing for slowripening. Marchigüe is slightly cooler because of its closer proximityto the ocean. Conditions are dry, with the region lying in the rainshadow of the Coastal Range, reducing the threat of fungaldisease and resulting in consistently healthy harvests. VINIFICATIONThe grapes for this wine were cold soaked at 10°C for five days toextract aroma and colour. Following this, they underwentfermentation in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks for 12days and were then kept on the skins to impart structure andcolour. The wine was then matured for 12 months, with 55% of thefinal blend in first, second and third-use French oak barrels. TASTING NOTESA deep ruby red in colour, this wine has intense aromas ofblackberries, figs and dried plums with notes of nutmeg, blackpepper and dark chocolate. The palate is lush and full-bodied,with soft tannins leading to a long, elegant finish.