Mont Gras Estate chile wines - edencroft fine wines

Chile - Mont Gras Estate

The beautifully neat vineyards of MontGras, in the locality of Palmilla, Colchagua, Sixth Region of Chile, represent the concrete testimony of the development and the desire to do things right that have always characterized the Gras brothers, Hernán and Eduardo, along with partner Cristián Hartwig.

Inspired by Hernán Gras, who has a brilliant winemaking trajectory in Canada, along with the entrepreneurial vision of his brother Eduardo and Hartwig's pragmatic businesses view, who comes from a winemaking family and who in addition has strong bonds with Colchagua, joined together to give to life to Viña MontGras in 1992, the first project of San José Properties.

MontGras, that has always has state-of-the-art technology in all its processes, set out from its conception to be the winery with the best premium wine from Chile. It is no accident then, the great amount of international prizes that have recognized the professional work, the constant quality and the innovation of MontGras wines.

In this, like corporative culture, people have been key. As Hernán Gras, Chairman of the MontGras Board says, "our philosophy has to do with producing quality Chilean wines at exceptional value, which reflect the specific terroir from where the grape comes from. Although we count on the equipment and the technology, it is definitively our people that make the difference. To create a wine is a true art in which all the senses are used.

2009, La Paz Sauvignon Blanc.

Bin No

EN6402

Size

75cl

Price

£5.75

Tasting Note: Pale straw yellow in colour. Aromas of lime and grapefruit core, surrounded by passion fruit notes. Crisp and juicy in the palate, with lime, pear and herbal flavours in delicate balance, with a soft finish.

Vinification Note: The grapes were picked between mid February and mid March. After de-stemming and pressing the, juice was chilled and settled overnight in stainless steel tanks.

After racking off the settled solid, the juice was inoculated with a cultured yeast and fermented at a cool 12 - 16 degrees Celsius to retain the fresh and delicate varietal characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc.

2009, La Paz Merlot.

Bin No

EN6403

Size

75cl

Price

£5.75

Appearance: Deep ruby red with purple notes.

Aromas: Red fruit, like cherries and some plums. Notes of chocolate and toasty oak at the end.

Flavours: Filled with currant, ripe plum, some cherry, vanilla and blackberry, beautifully complemented by sweet and ripe tannins.

2007, de Gras Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bin No

EN3252

Size

75cl

Price

£7.95

Appearance: Bright ruby red.

Aromas: Black fruit, mainly ripe plums and black berries, framed by chocolate, vanilla and toast.

Flavours: Medium bodied, pleasant tannins and nice volume, with notes of ripe plum and a touch of toast.

2008, de Gras Merlot.

Bin No

EN3253

Size

75cl

Price

£7.95

Tasting Note: Intense, deep red in colour with an explosively fruity, varietal nose of ripe plums with fresh mint notes. The palate is mouth filling, with ripe raspberries and blackcurrants on the palate. Shows a firm structure, with good depth and soft tannins, a distinctly Chilean style.

Vinification Note: After destemming and crushing the grapes were fermented at temperatures between 25 and 28º C with skin contact for 15 days. During fermentation, pumping over was performed daily to extract the fine varietal tannins and colour. 17% of the wine was aged for 10 months in American oak barrels to add complexity to this fruit driven varietal.

2008, de Gras Carménère Reserva.

Bin No

EN3256

Size

75cl

Price

£10.75

Tasting Note: Deep purple/red in colour with a full bouquet of spice, oak and black fruit and a firm but juicy palate. Offers plum, damson and curranty characters alongside well integrated toasty oak and layers of vanilla. Very good example of Carmenere.

Vinification Note: The grapes came from the MontGras Estate vineyards in the Colchagua Valley. MontGras Carmenère Reserva is made from this little known French grape variety, which was originally grown in Bordeaux for use in the classic blend of the region. In the 1800’s it was brought to Chile and has since thrived, although it is seldom seen outside Chile. Through recent genetic testing of vines, we have discovered that much of what was originaly thought of as Chilean Merlot, is in fact Carmenere, easily mistaken as here it produces soft, full and rounded red wines, of which MontGras is an excellent example.

Harvested at the end of March. Destemmed crushed grapes were fermented at 26° to 28°C with skin contact for 10 days. 60% of the wine was finished and aged for 18 months in American oak barrels. The barrels were racked and refilled every three months, egg white fining was done before bottling. The wine was bottled unfiltered.