Clusters were hand selected and hand picked in 10-kilo lug boxes. In the cellar, a manual cluster selection took place and berries were pressed by a small basket press. After a 7-day cold soak, the fermentation lasted 9-12 days in 10,0000 L tanks at an average temperature of 76°for Merlot and 79° for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Post fermentation maceration took 12 to 18 days. Dozens of small batches of Cabernet and Merlot were kept separate and only the exceptional barrels became key components of Lota. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrels and aging lasted for 15 months in new oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined.