Le Dix Cosechas Antiguas
The vintage
Although winter and spring were rather rainy, temperatures and grape phenological development remained fairly normal. The summer was hot and dry, which allowed grapes to attain optimum ripeness with a slightly later harvest. Rainfall remained absent until well into autumn, when the harvest had been completed. These overall very good conditions resulted in an outstanding vintage in terms of quality.
“Le Dix”, the top wine of Los Vascos, is exclusively produced from the oldest vines of “El Fraile” (almost 70 years old) producing low crops and highly concentrated grapes. The harvest began the first week of April and took almost 15 days in order to pick each plot (or each part of plot) at the best ripeness of the grapes in perfect condition.
Location
Stretching from the Coastal range to the foothills of the Andes mountains, Colchagua’s Mediterranean climate and privileged terroirs have made it a place of choice to produce quality wines in Chile. Los Vascos estate lies at the foothills of the coastal range, 200km South West of Santiago, in the cooler part of Colchagua where the vines benefit from the natural cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean.
Terroir
Le Dix Cosechas Antiguas is predominantly made from an old plot of Cabernet Sauvignon called El Fraile, which means the Monk. Nestled at the heart of the vineyard, the vines are planted at high density and produce high quality grapes of remarkable concentration.
Winemaking
Cosechas Antiguas is made with the utmost care, just like the Bordeaux Grands Crus. Grapes are carefully selected and hand harvested. After desteming, they are placed in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for alcoholic fermentation. During maceration gentle pump- over are performed when necessary for a gentle extraction of the tannins and colouring compounds. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in tanks, then the wine is transferred into French oak barrels made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac (50% new oak) for a period of 18 months. This wine will reveal its complexity with further bottle ageing.
Grapes
Tasting
Le Dix 2003 has a deep intense ruby color. The powerful nose develops aromas of dry fruit and of ripe wild cherry completed with a lot of spicy and terpenic aromas (wax, cedar, laurel, eucalyptus). The oak is elegant and nicely integrated with the fruit. This adds to the wine pleasant aromas of vanilla, tobacco and cinnamon… The concentration is impressive but the wine stays very well balanced and elegant, fresh, juicy, consistent with rich but ripe and soft tannins. It finishes with a strong taste of cherry (kirsch) and a very nice mineral character with a light bitterness of walnut peel. This outstanding wine is already very expressive but it is so rich and tannic that it needs more time in the bottle to for even more softness and complexity – To drink in 2008 and later… Good potential for ageing.
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