Root:1 Carmenere
Wine Description
Carmenere flourishes in the warm climate and cooling breezes of the Colchagua Valley. Like the Maipo Valley, it is located between the massive Andes Mountains and Pacific’s low Coastal Mountains. “The lost grape of Bordeaux” comes home to Chile with this subtly spicy, refreshingly fruity example that showcases how delightfully dynamic Carmenère can truly be.
Acclaim
Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Colchagua Valley
Vineyard name
El Suspiro Vineyard
Soil composition
Steep, rocky slopes made up of sand over clay: soils of volcanic origin
Training method
VSP Trellis system; bilateral cordon training
Elevation:
500 feet
Vines/acre:
1080-1350
Yield/acre:
less than 6 tons
Exposure:
North-South
Year vineyard planted:
1999
Harvest time:
Late April
First vintage of this wine:
2005
Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
85% Carmenere,15% Syrah
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10 days days
Fermentation temperature:
71.6-78.8 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
American and French oak
Size of aging container:
225 L. barrels
Type of oak:
American & French
Length of aging before bottling:
10 months
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.51
Acidity:
5.29 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %
Residual sugar:
5.4 g/L
Wine Production
Root:1 has developed and implemented five pillars of sustainability: Clean Energy, Water Conservation, Waste Management, Minimal Intervention, and Community Connection, which guide its farming and winemaking practices.
- Clean Energy – Root:1 uses solar power for energy, and the large-scale underground gravity cellar generates an even temperature throughout the year without air conditioning or heating.
- Water Conservation – The absolute minimum water necessary is used, and 100% of the process water from the winery is reused for irrigation.
- Minimal Intervention – Root:1 only uses interventions when necessary to protect the vine. Trichoderma, a natural fungus, is used instead of chemicals to control fungi, and products made from tea and citrus extract control botrytis.
- Waste Management – They reuse 85% of their inorganic materials and 100% of their vineyard waste as fertilizer.
- Community Connection – 100% of Root:1’s production team comes from local communities in central Chile, and they support different projects with the community, including the reconstruction of the “Los Pecesitos” school after the 2010 earthquake.
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