Growing Conditions
A Blend of Three Vineyards - vineyards are divided into lots that are harvested at different times:
Lunlunta 3,018 ft (920m) elevation: aluvial origin. Loamy clay in the topsoil with rounded rocks on the bottom.
El Cepillo, Eugenio Bustos 3,593 ft (1,090 m) elevation:aluvial origin. Loam-sandy soil with thick calcareous layersand rounded rocks on the bottom.
Gualtallary 4,757 ft (1,450 m) elevation: aluvial origin. Gravel and limestone soil. Rounded rocks in the bottom.
Harvest
Dry weather (precipitations 20-60% lower than usual), small berries and slightly lower yields; cooler temperatures overall. The 2019 harvest happened about 1-3 weeks earlier than usual, and the grapes were in pristine condition with not a drop of botrytis or downy mildew.
We were concerned that there would be problems with frost, because of the dry spring, but a constant evening breeze made frosts rare this year. And outside of Agrelo, there were no significant hail storms. We expected the harvest to be larger than usual, but the combination of dry weather and cool climate resulted in yields slightly lower than the norm.
Winemaking
This wine goes through an extensive cold maceration for 5 days at 50oF (10oC) to extract aromas. The juice is then fermented for 12 days with a post-fermentation maceration of 19-22 days. Wild Yeasts.
Aging
12 months in barrel. Barrel selection varies depending on vineyard and vintage - First, second and third use barrels used.
