Archives
March
30, 2003
1999
Tanao Red - Casa Lapostolle - Requinoa, Rapel Valley, Chile
($25.00)
3.5 grapes
On
March 25th, I was invited to attend a Casa Lapostolle dinner in
Edmonton with the gracious Alexandra Lapostolle herself in attendance.
While we sampled and enjoyed several of her wines, this Tanao red
impressed me because it certainly had improved since the last time
I had tasted it. 6 months ago, I had found this wine still young
with some quite rugged tannins and some heavy leafy flavours. 6
months later, they had all but disappeared. Delicious fruit has
emerged with silkier tannins and a softer more elegant finish. Very
yummy now, this wine will improve even more in another 6 months.
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Stay tuned for a interesting interview with Alexandra Lapostolle in the followng months.
Technical
Notes from Casa Lapostolle
Appellation:
Requinoa,
Rapel Valley, Chile.
Vineyard :Las Kuras vineyard.
Vines planted in 1992 on alluvial terraces of the Cachapoal River, a tributary
of the Rapel river. The soils are located on an old riverbed, with abundant
round stones and gravels, which give excellent drainage, aeration and
low fertility.
Grape
Variety:
Blend of 48% Merlot and 52% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Harvest:
The grapes were hand-harvested in small baskets of 12-15kgs. The Merlot
grapes were picked from the 8th to the 12th of March and the Cabernet
grapes from March 29th to April 1st, 1999.
Vintage:
An exceptional drought in winter, spring and summer resulted in very low
yields, the severest decrease being with Cabernet Sauvignon, with fewer
and smaller berries than usual. Cooler temperature in March and April
generated a normal harvest calendar, enabling the grapes to achieve properly
their optimum ripeness. Those exceptionally low yields (36hl/ha) emphasized
our proper style and typicity in our red grapes, with recognisable jammy,
blackcherry and mineral aromas.
Vinification:
- Must was fermented for 10 days with native yeasts, followed by a 20 days post-fermentation maceration.
- Fermentation temperature was from 26 to 28°C.
- All the wine was aged for 18 months in oneyear old French oak barrels.
- Bottled in December 2000.
Tasting Notes:
The balance between the vine varieties is tangible in the wine, not only
in the generous and complex bouquet, but also in the supple and tannic
mouth. The wine has an intense red-ruby color, an attractive nose of stewed
red fruits mixed with chocolate and spicy notes, and a filling and supple
mouth, with a tannic structure, which will ensure great ageing potential.
A charming wine with nicely integrated oak and a very elegant finish.
Alcohol : 13,8 %
Ph : 3,69
Acidity : 3,2 g/l H2SO4
Residual sugar : 2,4 g/l
Michel Friou, Winemaker
The Purple Feet Rating System: |
5 grapes = spectacular |
4 grapes = delicious |
3 grapes = yummy |
2 grapes = okay |
1 grape = awkward |
