CHAGUAL ORGANIC SAUVIGNON BLANC

Los Vascos wines blend Lafite tradition with the unique terroir of Chile to create elegant wines that bring exceptional to the everyday. The vision of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite to expand their estate took them to South America in 1988, becoming the first French viticultural investment in modern Chile. Since then, a comprehensive modernization and investment program has been undertaken, oriented towards the production of fine wine using and adapting the viticultural experiences of Bordeaux and other areas where Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite is present.
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.

Chagual Sauvignon Blanc is made from organic grapes grown on the coastal valley of San Antonio. The soils of granitic origin, with good drainage and low nutrient content, force the roots to explore deeper. These conditions, combined with the Pacific influence, located a mere 12 miles away, allow the grapes to ripen slowly, obtaining excellent acidity and a great aromatic expression.
This season began with a low rainfall winter and a cold spring. Temperatures were low at the beginning of the summer, but slowly increased to remain very stable throughout the season, without reaching extreme temperatures, which allowed ideal ripeness for the production of grapes of great balance and quality. The San Antonio valley is remarkably cooler than Peralillo, so the harvest of this variety naturally takes place later in the season. This year, the harvest began on April 9. Harvesting is done at night to keep the grapes cool throughout the process, from transport to reception at the winery. This allows vinification of healthy grapes and takes advantage of all the aromatic potential for which this variety is known.

Grapes are harvested before daylight when temperatures are at their lowest. After a few hours of cold maceration, they are pressed and fermented at low temperature in stainless steel tanks to preserve their aromatic potential. The wine is partly aged on lees in order to obtain a good balance between roundness and freshness.

Pale color with greenish hues over a slightly yellow background. Intense and complex aromatics marked by notes of exotic fruits such as passion fruit, lychee and pineapple, citrus touches of lemon peel, and subtle herbal hints of green chili and tomato leaf. The palate is juicy, with a good balance between volume and acidity, with a more herbal and fresher aftertaste that reflects the authenticity of a wine from a coastal terroir.

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.