CARMENERE 2009
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Appellation: Valle de Colchagua
Composition: 100% Carmenere
Alcohol: 14.0 % by vol.
pH: 3.55
Total Acidity: 6 g/l (tartaric acid)
Residual Sugar: 2,68 g/l

VINEYARD
The grapes for the 2009 Arboleda Carmenère where rigorously selected in our vineyard in the Valle de Colchagua, 200 km (120 mi) south of Santiago. The region features rainy winters and dry summers. The grapes that go into this blend came from vines planted in the deep, clay-loam soils typical of the Valle de Colchagua in 1997. The vineyard is vertically trained and drip irrigated, which allows strict control to achieve balance and keep yields low.

HARVEST NOTES
Picking Date: First 15 days of may

Historic averages:
• Average temperature October-Abril: 17.9°C / 64.2°F
• Temperature oscillation October-Abril: 20.8°C / 37.4°F
• Annual Rainfall: 660 mm.

The Valle de Colchagua experienced moderate weather conditions this season. The year's rainfall was accumulated primarily in the winter and reached a total of 660 mm (26 in), which is 20% higher than the normal in the region. There were no significant frosts in the spring. There were no rains of low temperatures during the harvest period, which allowed us to wait patiently for the best moment to harvest. Yields were 8% lower than in a normal year, which resulted in highly concentrated wines with excellent colour and tremendous aromatic expression.

VINIFICATION
The grapes were picked, carefully inspected on a sorting table, and then deposited into stainless steel tanks, where fermentation took place at 24–28°C (75.2–82.4°F). During fermentation, 3 daily pumpovers rotated 0.5 to 1.5 times the volume of each tank. Repeated aerated pumpovers were helped polymerize the reactive tannins and eliminated any possible grassy notes while helping to fix the colour of the wine. This further enhanced the wine's excellent expression of fresh fruit. After a maceration period of 15–30 days, the final blend was aged for 12 months in oak barrels, 87% French, 13% American, 38% of which were new.

WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
With a deep and beautiful reddish-violet colour, this wine faithfully represents the characteristics of the Carmenère variety. The nose presents fresh blueberry, maqui, black pepper, and roasted bell pepper aromas all harmoniously integrated with cedar, coffee, vanilla, and smoky notes obtained during barrel aging. Fresh and fruity on the palate, this wine is in balance with its spicy profile, where the oak treatment enhanced its complexity with sweet spices and cedar notes. This well-structured Carmenère with a broad palate and soft, sweet tannins finishes delicate and fresh.