Vina Vik La Piu Belle 2012
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Winemaker Notes
An incredibly attractive mouth with a fresh, soft and silky attack, with a touch of minerality presenting velvety tannins with a long end and a delicate acidity. Elegant and balanced, La Piu Belle 2012 is the reflection of modern winemaking art, generating an experience worthy of being shared.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Carmenere, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 4% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich and round wine with lots of fruit and round and soft tannins. Full body, juicy and delicious. A sexy and voluptuous wine. Drink now.
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Wine Spectator
Lithe, with subtle graphite and slate notes to the rich dried red fruit and savory flavors. The crisp, focused finish features hints of licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. Drink now through 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
Plump aromas of raisin and baked black fruit announce a ripe wine from a warm year. A sappy palate with heft and thickness holds dark-fruit flavors of black plum, black cherry, prune, vanilla and tobacco. On the finish, this sticks to ripe and dense. Drink through 2022.
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In 2004, Alexander Vik, a Norwegian entrepreneur, proposed the creation of a world-class vineyard to produce a unique wine. A holistic vineyard creating world class wines, located on 11.000 acres of Chilean nature, and featuring an architecturally exceptional winery, restaurant and retreat. “Science and knowledge are our foundation, passion is our engine and the wine is the expression of our Art” The viti-vinicultural concept at VIK is based on the technique of optimizing each stage of grape growing and wine production, with an important focus on science and technology, all of which is adapted to each of our valleys in order to achieve the optimum maturity levels in our fruit and to create the best wine.
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.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.