Montes Alpha Colchagua Merlot 2021

Region: Central Valley, Colchagua, Chile

Vintage: 2021

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Merlot

ABV: 14.5%

Notes: Vegetarian, Vegan

This wine is deep ruby red in colour. On the nose, there are pronounced aromas of fresh red berries and plums, with subtle layers of vanilla, toffee and nut from oak ageing. This is a wonderfully structured Merlot with smooth, round tannins and balanced freshness.

The vineyards that produce the grapes for the Alpha Merlot are located in the Colchagua Valley, primarily in the El Arcángel de Marchigüe vineyards. The soils are of granitic origin at different levels of decomposition with variable amounts of clay and organic matter. The Merlot vineyards are double Guyot managed, producing yields of approximately 7,000kg per hectare.

When they started producing Montes Alpha in 1987, they needed balanced yields and to harvest when the grapes were ripe. They adapted these practices to all their vineyards and the results were startling. Montes’ own vineyards now cover 75% of their requirements. The other 25% of fruit is produced in vineyards that they have planted, cultivated and picked. In other words, they control everything except the ownership of the land. In addition to this control over the vineyard, they also sell in bulk what is not good enough to go into the bottles that carry their label. Having made the selection in the vineyard, they are able to make a further selection in the winery. The results are there for you to taste. In 2020, Aurelio Montes’ illustrious career was recognised in the form of the International Wine Challenge’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

https://www.monteswines.com