Carmenère, Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia
Over 140 years ago, Viña Santa Carolina’s founder Luis Pereira decided to reserve the b est wines in his cellar for his family to enjoy exclusively. A century later, the tradition is maintained and Reserva de Familia has become Santa Carolina’s flagship.
The grapes used in this wine are sourced from two sectors in the Rapel Valley, a premier location for Carmenère: Los Lingues, situated on the Andean foothills, and Pichidegua, towards the Coastal Range. Here, the vineyards receive the refreshing influence of both the Cachapoal River and the Andes, enabling a long vegetative process that is ideal for Carmenère grapes to achieve full ripeness and produce complex wines of spicy and black fruit aromas and silky tannins. Saucy plum and wild berry aromas are spicy and briary on the nose. With a deep and dark garnet red color, this Carmenère represents blackberry and black cherry aromas, complemented by subtle hints of herbs and roasted peppers. The palate has a silky texture with delicate tannins and a delightful dark fruit profile of blueberry and cherry. Spicy notes of cardamom linger in its pleasant finish.
In the Rapel Valley, the 2017-2018 growing season was very hot. Although it began with a cold winter of low rainfall, the spring season brought a significant increase in temperature. An abnormal heatwave and a few wildfires marked the summer season, which meant an early harvest and the need for a careful vinification process. The grapes harvested in full health resulted in wines that represent the great conditions this valley offers for the production of red wines of the highest quality.
Harvested by hand, the grapes that entered this wine underwent double selection before initiating the fermentation process, which followed the traditional method, with select yeasts and controlled temperature in stainless steel vats. After completing the alcoholic fermentation, the wine was kept in contact with the skins for a few days to enhance its complexity and balance. Once malolactic fermentation was completed, the wine was transferred to French oak barrels where it aged for 15 months. After bottling, the wine was cellared for 6 months before it is released to the market.