EXTINTO
In the depths of the Cachapoal Valley, nestled among the rolling hills and vineyards swaying with the wind, lay an ancient secret: Carmenere vines, the legacy of a nearly extinct grape mistakenly identified as Merlot, were rediscovered in Chile’s history in 1994.
The vineyard is located in an area known as Pichidegua, about 15 km west of Peumo, in the Cachapoal Valley. This region is renowned for the quality of its Carmenere wines and is home to some of the oldest vineyards of this grape variety.
This particular vineyard was planted in 1956 and also contains 5% Malbec vines, which are harvested along with the Carmenere and co-fermented. A distinctive feature of this vineyard is that it is dry-farmed, with no irrigation.
The combination of climate, vineyard age, and dry-farming conditions results in a special and harmonious balance, yielding a wine of unique character, with fresh acidity and exceptional finesse.
Enologist:
Rafael Urrejola
An enologist from the Catholic University of Chile, the head winemaker at Viña Undurraga is the leader of the entire winemaking operation at the winery, responsible for ensuring quality and providing guidance for all the wines produced by Undurraga.
Origin
This wine comes from a particular vineyard located in an area called Pichidegua, 15km west of Peumo in the Cachapoal Valley. This area is renowned for the quality of its Carmenère wines and is home to some of the oldest vineyards planted with this variety.
These vines were planted in 1956 and originally thought to be Merlot. However, in 1994, a French ampelographer discovered that they were actually Carmenère, a variety believed to be extinct in the Bordeaux region, which was rediscovered in Chile.
Five per cent of the vines in this vineyard are Malbec, which is harvested together with the Carmenère and the two varieties are co-fermented.
A distinctive characteristic of this vineyard is that it is dry-farmed, that is to say that the vines depend solely on winter rainfall and do not receive any additional irrigation. This is possible because the vineyard has deep soil with good moisture retention and is therefore able to nourish the plants throughout the season until harvest. Furthermore, the vines are ungrafted, retaining their original roots.
The climate, age of the vineyard and dry farming combine to bring a special and harmonious balance to the vineyard, resulting in an exceptionally fine wine with unique character and fresh acidity.
tasting notes:
On the nose, it stands out for its fine and complex aromas. Floral and spicy notes like black pepper and graphite emerge over a background of wild red berries. In the mouth, this is an energetic and intensely fresh wine, juicy on the mid-palate, where fine tannins combine with a long and persistent finish.