Underraga Altazor 2015
The Underraga Altazor has layers of deep red fruit and cassis which are interwoven with notes of graphite, mint and tobacco, concentrated and opulent.
Producer Note - Undurraga is one of Chile's most prestigious wineries, consistently receiving high scores from top wine critics. Founded in 1885, Undurraga owns 1,350 hectares of estate vineyard in Chile's premium wine producing areas such as Leyda, Cauquenes and Itata. Head winemaker Rafael Urrejola has spent a great deal of time researching and understanding the diversity of Chile's vineyard sites; the result is the emblematic 'Terroir Hunter' range. Undurraga cultivates their vineyards with respect for the environment and follow a philosophy of minimal intervention in the cellar in order to showcase the terroir.
Vintage - The 2015 vintage was a warmer vintage than experienced in recent years with temperatures of 31.1°C in January, which remained high throughout February and March. Yields were good and the grapes achieve excellent ripeness levels with balanced alcohol and acidity with good fruit expression.
Vineyard - The grapes for the Underraga Altazor were carefully selected from small plots. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from estate vineyards planted in the early 1990s, in Pirque and Los Morros, in Alto Maipo. The Pirque vineyard contains alluvial soils with medium composition with a high level of stone content, whereas Los Morros consists of soils of colluvial-alluvial origin. Both soil types have medium to low fertility, good depth of 1.5 to 2 metres and good drainage; ideal conditions to produce wines of character. The Carménère grapes come from an estate vineyard in the Colchagua Valley planted in the mid 1980s. The clay loam soil textures are dominant which is ideal for this variety as they retain soil moisture ensuring optimum and prolonged ripening. The Carignan grapes come from a rain-fed vineyard planted in 1958, in the Maule Valley. It contains soils with clay texture, high quartz content, subsoil of granitic origin and good drainage.
Winemaking - The grapes were manually selected; first by cluster, then by berry to ensure only the ripe, healthy fruit was vinified. The grapes were then transferred by gravity into small stainless steel tanks of 10,000 litres for fermentation with selected yeasts. The wine was made without any additions and following fermentation it was transferred to French oak barrels where it spent 16 months. It received a further 18 months' ageing in bottle prior to release.
Tasting Note - An exceptional wine revealing expressive aromatic layers, balanced concentration and wonderful complexity. Deep red fruits and cassis are underpinned by mineral notes, graphite and tobacco. The structured palate shows depth of flavour and integrated tannins, through to an everlasting finish. Serve with rich red meats or mature cheese.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 90%, Carmenère 7%, Carignan 3%
Winemaker: Rafael Urrejola
Region: Valle de Maipo
Sub region: Maipo Alto
Country: Chile
Alcohol: 14%
Body Value: D (A is light, E is full bodied)
Residual Sugar:2.7
Contains Sulphites:Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes/Yes
Milk/Eggs: No/No
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
