CHAGUAL ORGANIC CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Chagual is the local name for Puya Chilensis, a plant native to Chile’s central region. The plant’s spectacular flower head can stand more than 13 feet high, making its silhouette emblematic of Los Vascos landscape. The Chagual shelters many species including a beautiful colored butterfly that is totally dependent on the Chagual. Butterflies lay their eggs (larvae) which feeds on the plant’s nutritious stems to eventually transform into a butterfly, which in turn pollinates the Chagual flowers. As the Chagual and butterflies share their life cycle and rely on one another to survive and thrive on the coastal region of Chile, the vineyard of Los Vascos and the community around Peralillo is also inextricably linked.
In the land of Los Vascos, cultivation is at the heart; cultivating not only vineyards but the dream to transform this vast land into a fruitful eco-system producing the most elegant Chilean wines. This holistic approach encompasses and protects all - from the short-legged sheep clearing weeds without devouring precious grapes to the artisans honing hand-made knives to carefully tend the vines. Los Vascos embodies the Chilean paradox, meticulous in work, easy going and warm in personality. Independent, yet proud to cultivate the community because everyone is stronger and happier together.

Stretching from the Coastal range to the foothills of the Andes mountains, Colchagua’s Mediterranean climate and privileged terroirs have made it a place of choice to produce quality wines in Chile. Los Vascos estate lies at the foothills of the coastal range, 125 miles southwest of Santiago, in the cooler part of Colchagua where the vines benefit from the natural cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean.
Chagual Cabernet Sauvignon is made from the flatter parts of the Peralillo vineyard, where the medium-deep soils with a loam to clay loam texture, together with the marine influence, allow the production of fresh and well-balanced grapes.
A rainy winter gave way to a cool spring in which maximum temperatures did not exceed 79°F. The summer kicked off with early rains and unusually low temperatures; it was one of the coolest in recent years. It was necessary to watch the vineyard closely, taste and analyze the grapes more frequently in order to make the right decision for the harvest date. Due to logistical and maturity issues, the entire organic sector of the estate is harvested in a short period of time. This season, the organic Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on April 14–15. This particularly cool year is reflected in the quality and expressiveness of this wine.

Maceration is carried out for up to 15 days, seeking to maintain fruit expression without neglecting the typical structure of the varietal. The wine is then stored in cement vats to maintain the freshness and aromatic expression, characteristic of the variety.

Intense garnet in color, this aromatic wine opens with notes of ripe red fruits such as strawberry and raspberries, with layers of blueberries, and blackcurrant. In addition, like a true Cabernet Sauvignon from Peralillo, the nose reveals an intense spicy component with notes of pepper, bay leaf and oregano. This aromatic complexity is accompanied by a good sugar acidity balance on the palate that boasts intense and persistent tannins. Undoubtedly, a juicy and palatable Cabernet Sauvignon, to drink now or keep for a few years.

The estate is certified by the Code of Sustainability of Wines of Chile and reuses, recycles and recovers plant waste, water and packaging whenever possible. 93% of the energy consumed on the estate is of renewal origin produced by the 413 solar panels on the property.

The winery’s forest protects and supports 1,452 hectares of natural and cultivated meadows and 29 hectares of water reserve ponds.

In 1999 the winery undertook the first trials of organic practices at Los Vascos’ El Bruno Vineyard, where Cabernet Sauvignon is planted.

In 2011 the winery received its first organic vineyard certification. Today, 90 hectares of Los Vascos vineyard is ECOCERT certified organic while 200 hectares follow the principles of organic farming with hopes of full certification of the entire estate by 2030.

No synthetic fertilizer or pesticides classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or containing endocrine disrupters are used at the property nor by any external grape producers. No genetically modified yeasts are used.

The estate only uses organic fertilizers and produce allowed for organic norms.