Erasmo - Unfiltered Red wine (Reserva de Caliboro) 2012
Pairing Suggestions
Erasmo - Unfiltered Red wine (Reserva de Caliboro) 2012 - 87 TSW
Single vineyard blend from Maule Valley – Chile with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Syrah. Pairing with some charcutterie.
Erasmo 2012 is edition number twelve of this wine. The same vineyards as in the previous vintages, have fully adapted to the terroir of Caliboro and are delivering balanced fruit. Two important elements characterize this vintage compared with previous ones. Firstly, the addition of a small quantity of Syrah to the blend aims at giving additional complexity. The fermentation of all the grapes took place naturally, without any manmade yeast, only wild ones.
And secondly some practices in the vineyard and in the cellar are also evolving and bringing Erasmo towards being an even more natural and terroir driven wine. From winter 2008, the management of the farm has abandoned the use of conventional products and started following organic protocols. In the cellar, they reduced the number of rackings allowing the wine to spend more time on the lees and using the cold temperature of the winter to stabilize naturally.
This traditional of blends acquires a unique character thanks to the aromas of boldos, peumos, wild roses and other native plants that thrive on the riverbanks surrounding the vineyard.
Harvest by hand. Fermentation in stainless steel with no added yeast and soft handling of pump overs. Malolactic fermentation took place in wood. Eighteen months of barrique aging, all French oak. The bottling took place on January 17, 2014. The wine is unfiltered to preserve all its quality and might present precipitations.
My tasting notes:
First give this wine a decant.
In the glass a deep ruby red color with purple rim.
On the medium(+) nose aromas of blackberries, raspberries, cloves and spices with hints of cedar, leather and some vanilla.
On the palate dry, medium bodied with medium(+) acidity and tannins. High alcohol. Flavours of the dark fruit, something greenish, cedar, smoke and white pepper. The finish has a medium(-) intensity. For the price 2 extra points.