Elqui Pinot Noir Reserva
WHY WE LOVE IT
- A Single Vineyard Pinot Noir from the cool climate of our Maitén Vineyard, a rocky, sandy, ancient riverbed sitting 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The usual latitude here, combined with intense and constant wind, gives us a unique example of Pinot Noir.
- A winery was built within Steffan’s winery for this wine – It consists of separate rooms with a series of six squat, square shaped fermenters that were designed specifically for the gentle handling of this varietal
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: Very long maturation period in the vineyards due to very cool nights which makes for an oscillation (day/night swings) of nearly 40F. Harvested by hand in 20 kg small crates. Fermented in specially designed small open top 4000 kg stainless vats with temperature control and punched down for gentle extraction. Very important to maintain fresh fruit characters in finished wines. Fermentation takes approximately 12-14 days with a total skin contact time of 3-4 weeks depending on lots. 100% Barrel aged entirely in tight grained French oak barrels for 24 months with 30% new.
Tasting Notes: Fresh sour red and dark cherries intertwines with sweet raspberries burst form the glass followed up by a mineral spice core and hints of black rose petals. In the mouth, voluptuous and rich, with fresh opulent fruit notes and velvety super silky tannin. The wine lingers with pure and utter elegance. Chile’s Northernmost Pinot Noir in all its glory!
PRESS
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PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Elqui is a transversal valley which borders the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atacama Desert on the north, and the Andes Mountains to the east. Here, a cool breeze blows eastward across the Humboldt current, which flows from Antarctica north past Chile and Peru. These evening breezes cool the vineyards and lower night time temperatures almost 40 degrees, creating wonderful natural acidity in the grapes. The proximity to the Atacama, makes rain in this region extremely rare, extending the grape growing season by 6 weeks more than other regions of South America.
Steffan Jorgensen, who was previously chief winemaker at Bergevin Lane in Washington from 2006-2012 and his wife Pamela Nunez, a trained enologist from the prestigious University of Santiago, make small lot varietal wines and blends from 20 acres of estate fruit from their partner and vineyard owner’s property in 2 distinct locations in Elqui.
All wines are made with special attention to their minerality and earthy aspects and combine with Steffan’s style to deliver broad and voluptuous wines with great acidity.