Santa Rita Carmenere Pehuen 2011

This superb wine is intense and deep with a rich crimson red color. Its complex bouquet of fresh black fruit and spice notes, signature to this variety, is elegantly combined with the characteristics given by the oak aging. Potent and concentrated while maintaining its elegance and richness, it is a flavorful and persistent wine with excellent ageing potential.Matches well with barbecue, venison, wild game and fowl, ripe cheeses and spicy red meats.De-stemmed and partially crushed grapes were cold macerated for five days prior to the fermentation process, which was carried out at 28°C.

Frequent pumping-over was performed during two thirds of the time and then reduced by half so as to extract the maximum potential from the wine. Post fermentation maceration for 20 days allowed this wine to develop its characteristic sweetness and roundness. Malolactic fermentation took place in 100% French oak barrels to ensure completestructure and color set. The wine remained in the barrels for 18 months prior to bottling.95% Carmenere, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (some vines dating back to the 1940s)