Vina Maipo Vitral Red Blend 2012
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Enjoy with grilled meat, lamb, cheese and pasta.
Viña Maipo was founded in 1948 in the village of Maipo, the heart of Maipo Valley, a world-renowned region for producing wines of outstanding quality. Twenty years later, Chilean leader Concha y Toro, the largest Chilean wine group, acquired the winery, enhancing the quality of its wines and laying the foundations for its global spirit. In 2007, Max Weinlaub joined Viña Maipo as chief winemaker, giving way to a new strategy focused on developing world-class wines, expressive of their origin.
Viña Maipo sources from almost 5,000 acres of owned and grower vineyards, split approximately 60% (2,965 acres) between own vineyards and 40% (1,977 acres) from growers. Growers plant under close supervision by Weinlaub and his team, ensuring quality production across the spectrum; for the top wines, 100% are sourced from estate vineyards. Maipo Valley has a signature elegance and complexity, particularly near the village in upper Maipo, due to fluctuation in day-to-night temperatures between the Andes and the valley floor. The soils offer a combination of volcanic and alluvial influences and support different varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in alluvial areas, while Syrah is well-suited to volcanic conditions.
Maipo Valley accounts for 20% of the winery's total production (including estate and growers), and three wines (made principally from Cabernet and Syrah) are classified as D.O. Maipo. Viña Maipo also makes wines in the Central and Maule Valley, with all of the whites coming from excellent white-wine terroirs in Casablanca, Rapel and Maule. Overall, the winery pursues a sustainable approach with the aim of minimizing environmental impact through responsible practices such as water management and minimal treatments. For winemaker Max Weinlaub, sustainability is a key part of his "craftsmanship philosophy—a belief that every wine must be treated individually with a critical attention to detail.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Touching the Pacific in the west and stretching up into the Andes on its eastern side, the Rapel Valley is one of the more substantial fine red wine producing regions of Chile and contains both the Colchagua Valley in its south and west and the Cachapoal in its north and east. While it is recognized for its exceptional warm-climate reds, the region does produce some fine Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc on its coastal side.
Some of the country’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Rapel’s Andean foothills—with significant individualized smaller zones already identified. Soils here are mixtures of loam, clay, and sand; Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot are the most prolific varieties throughout the region.