De Martino
Alto de Piedras Single Vineyard Carmenère
Alcohol:
14%An exemplary terroir-driven wine, Alto de Piedras is a limited-production Carmenère produced from one of the most unique vineyard sites in Chile.
Vineyards:
Covering 5 hectares in Isla de Maipo, the Alto de Piedras vineyard is located 334 meters above sea level with eastern/western exposures. The alluvial soil has high contents of rocks, clay, silt, and sand. Using the trellis training method, the vines have a low planting density of 1166 vines/hectare, resulting in limited quantities of high-quality grapes. The mildly warm climate lengthens the growing season allowing the grapes to fully mature prior to harvest.
Technical Data:
- pH: 3.66
- Residual Sugar: 2.99 grams/liter
- Acidity: 5.36 grams/liter
- Dry Extract: 33.80 grams/liter
Winemaking:
A highly selective manual harvest took place in late April. The grapes underwent a cold maceration prior to fermentation for 7 days in stainless steel tanks at 8-10°C. After a 8-9-day fermentation period at 26-28°C, the wine was left in contact with the skins for an additional 28 days in stainless steel. Full malolactic occurred. The wine was then aged for 14 months in new French oak barriques before being filtered and bottled. It was cellared for 7 months before being released.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, there are generous aromas of fresh red fruits and spices, with herbaceous undertones. There is great concentration of fruit as well as ripe, well-integrated tannins on the palate. The finish is long and elegant. This wine possesses great aging potential.
Food Pairings:
A great wine with lamb, duck, and game. It is also perfectly suited for entrees with full-flavored, spicy sauces.
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Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet
Shelf Talker
2007 - Wine Spectator - 91 points
Shelf Talker
2009 - Wine Advocate - 91 points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Deep violet color. Cherry-vanilla, cola and blackberry preserves on the nose, with complicating floral and spice nuances. Supple, deeply concentrated dark berry liqueur flavors are framed by velvety tannins and show a strong oak influence supported by fruit. The finish repeats the cola and spice notes and lingers with very good tenacity. Emphatically modern and [...]
Wine Enthusiast
A powerful, dark and alluring specimen with chocolate, olive paste, road tar and blackberry aromas. The palate is tight, rubbery, tannic and fierce, with juicy, pumped-up boysenberry and dark plum flavors. Shows its varietal side, meaning herbs and olive, on the finish. Not spectacular but very good.
Wine Spectator
Dark and winey, with lovely mouthfeel and purity to the raspberry and plum sauce notes that glide through on silky tannins. Alluring black tea, tobacco and braised chestnut notes flash through the finish, boding well for cellaring. Drink now through 2012.
Wine & Spirits
Grown on an alluvial terrace of the Maipo River, this Carmenère is potent and ripe, its deep black fruit flavor floating over a soft, voluptuous texture.
Wine Advocate
De Martino’s 2007 Carmenere Alto de Piedra was sourced from an organically farmed vineyard and aged for 14 months in French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it exhibits an expressive nose of Asian spices, underbrush, lavender, black cherry, and black raspberry. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it is a dense, velvety-textured, plush, concentrated [...]
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Opaque ruby. Deeply scented, pungent aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry and cola are enhanced by notes of mocha and cracked pepper in the background. Big, chewy and densely packed but surprisingly lithe, offering smoky black and blue fruit flavors and good mineral spine. Tannins build with air and add grip to a long, smoky, appealingly sweet [...]
