The Willow Cabernet Sauvignon
The vintage
An early harvest driven primarily by the weather, among other factors, was the signature of a season that started with a warm winter, had little precipitation and saw only a few days with below zero temperatures. Spring had two frost episodes that burned some bunches and buds and led to natural thinning of the fruit, which in turn allowed for greater concentration and enhanced the quality of the berries. Despite these two days of frost, temperatures continued to rise in spring and especially in summer, some days reaching and even exceeding 37°C in the shade, while the rain remained absent. Consequently, the harvest took place some 20 days before the usual date. For the 2020 vintage, the grapes used for this wine were harvested towards the end of March.
Location
Stretching from the Coastal range to the foothills of the Andes mountains, Colchagua’s Mediterranean climate and privileged terroirs have made it a place of choice to produce quality wines in Chile. Los Vascos estate lies at the foothills of the coastal range, 200km South West of Santiago, in the cooler part of Colchagua where the vines benefit from the natural cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean.
Terroir
Grapes are sourced from the historical plots of the property. The soils are predominantly clay loam on a bed of Tosca (typical rockbed made from volcanic ashes).
Winemaking
The wine is made according to the traditional Bordeaux method. Grapes are placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation under controlled temperature between 25 and 27 C. It is followed by 10 to 15 days of maceration, during which several pump-over are performed to allow a gentle extraction of the phenolic compounds. The wine is then left to age for three months in stainless steel tanks in order to obtain its unique fruit-driven style.
Grapes
Tasting
Bright, with a lively ruby color.
On the nose we found black fruits, such as plums and dark cherries, which are joined by herbs such as bay leaf and rosemary, which add complexity and freshness. In the mouth it has a smooth and round entry, which gives way to a good acidity accompanied by firm but soft tannins, which give a crisp and tasty sensation.
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