Arboleda
Supplier/Importer: Thienot USA
Subregion: Aconcagua Valley
Appellation: Valle del Aconcagua
Eduardo Chadwick's personal project in the Valle de Aconcagua began in 1999 as a tribute to Chile's native trees that have been preserved in his sustainably managed vineyards.
Arboleda's philosophy are a deep respect for the environment, understanding terroir, a passionate team, and a vision of excellence.
Haras de Pirque
Supplier/Importer: Antinori
Region:Chile
Subregion: Maipo Valley
Appellation: Valle del Maipo
Nestled in the Chilean foothills of the Andes in the heart of the Maipo Valley, the Haras estate is a partnership between the Antinori family of Tuscany and the Matte family of Chile.
This land is dedicated to two passions: the raising of thoroughbred horses and the production of exceptional wines, from estate-grown fruit. Haras is renowned for its production of red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. Sustainable practices and environmental responsibility are core vineyard management philosophies. All the grapes are hand-harvested and carefully sorted prior to crush.
The estate is situated in Pirque, one of the most prestigious and historical areas of the Maipo Valley. At the foothills of the cordillera de Los Andes, in the central area of the country, in a privileged zone for planting vineyards.
Between 500 and 800 meters above sea level is the Maipo Alto, an area with mild thermal oscillation where native vegetation such as myrtle and boldos thrive, which on certain occasions gives the wines distinctive balsamic notes. Thus, the wines produced in this area achieve a high concentration of tannins, great structure and intense color.
ORGANIC FARMING
In 2006, the property started to develop the organic management of Maipo-Andes vineyards, which was completed in 2016. Today all the grapes and wines from Pirque are organic, certified by the CERES institute, which means that in their production process only environmentally-friendly products are being used. The soil management is carried out exclusively by machine without the use of herbicides, while fertilization is made with natural compounds such as compost. In turn, the wines are fermented partially with natural yeasts selected from the vineyard, making sure that the characteristics of its surroundings are reflected in the wines.
An iconic decision is made from the heart. Following the sign of his intuition, in 1995 Eduardo Chadwick pioneered a joint venture with Robert Mondavi to handcraft a world-class Chilean wine. Chadwick searched alongside Mondavi for four long years before finding the ideal terroir in Chile’s Valle de Aconcagua that spoke to their instincts. Seña is the culmination of their vision – an expression of consummate quality and character.
To maximize quality, the fruit is handpicked exclusively in the morning and brought to the winery in 12 kg boxes. The grapes are then carefully selected on sorting tables and all extraneous plant material, leaves, and stems are removed to ensure fine fruit character in the final blend. The grapes are mostly fermented in stainless steel tanks at temperatures ranging from 24° to 30°C (75°–86°F), depending on the variety and seasonal conditions (microbiological load, and alcohol potential), to achieve the desired level of extraction. 6% of the must are fermented in first-use French oak barrels to increase the complexity of the blend. During fermentation, 3 pump overs are performed daily at 0.5 to 1.5 times the tank volume, in accordance with the degree of extraction desired.
Total maceration time range from 20 to 33 days for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere and 6 to 8 days for Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, depending on the development of each individual lot.
The new wine then racked to 100% French new oak barrels from a selection of the finest cooperages is aged for 22 months, during which time most of the malolactic fermentation takes place.
