Cousiño-Macul Lota

Lota bottle image

Wine Description

This wine comes from the oldest Cabernet (1932) and best Merlot of Cousiño Macul vineyards. They are the result of a special selection of our own best vines, keeping the same unique DNA material brought from France in the 1860s by Don Luis Cousiño, before the plague phylloxera attacked European vineyards.  These vineyards are planted in Macul Estate at the foot of the Andes, 600 m above sea level on a loamy soil with some clay and very strong presence of rocks. They are fully adapted to these conditions without the need of much management, only traditional flooding irrigation and some pruning. With a natural yield of around 4 tons per hectare we obtain a very high quality and concentrated fruit which allows us to start the winemaking process with very high expectations every year.

Cousiño-Macul Winery
Cousiño-Macul Vineyard
The gate to Cousiño-Macul winery
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Acclaim
“A rusty color suggests maturity, while this blend of 78% Cab Sauvignon and 22% Merlot smells slightly raisiny, with black plum and cassis aromas chiming in. Lively acidity punches up the palate, while oaky notes of vanilla and mocha surround core flavors of black plum, cherry and cassis. A smooth finish indicates that this is at or near its peak.”
— Wine Enthusiast, Nov 2021
“Lota is Cousiño Macul's most ambitious wine, a blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon from the oldest vineyards at the Macul property, planted in 1932, with merlot, also from Macul, but from vines planted in 1980. This Lota has the ripe and lush style it's known for, but it also has the strong sense of place that appears after that ripeness and voluptuousness. Here there are notes of eucalyptus, mint, black fruits, spices, and that earthy side that's so typical of the wines of the area. The palate is big, but with polished tannins that project across the palate, sustaining the flavors until the end. It's still young. Give it about four or five years to develop and offer even more complexity.”
— Descorchados, Aug 2021
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Macul and Buin Vineyards
Vineyard size
Various acres
Soil composition
Calcareous soil, sand and rocky subsoils
Elevation:
1,320 - 1,890 feet
Vines/acre:
931 - 2,024
Exposure:
North and South
Year vineyard planted:
Various
Harvest time:
Late March through the first week in May
First vintage of this wine:
2004
Bottles produced of this wine:
4,800
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
12-18
Varietal composition:
85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
9-12 days
Fermentation temperature:
76 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barrique
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French oak - Taransaud and Sylvain
Length of aging before bottling:
15 months
Age of Aging Container:
85% new
Total SO2
100.8
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.59
Acidity:
5.82 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Dry extract:
37.5 g/L
Total SO2
100.8
Residual sugar:
3.62 g/L