Château Los Boldos Tradition Réserve, `Tradición Reserva` Cachapoal Valley Chardonnay

Château Los Boldos has transformed since being purchased by Sogrape in 2008. Based in Chile’s Cachapoal Valley, they hired renowned soil scientist and viticultural consultant Pedro Parra to assess their estate vineyards and match grape varieties to a myriad of soil types. Additionally advising on types of rootstocks, planting density, orientation and irrigation frequency, Pedro’s work has transformed these vineyards, resulting in exceptional fruit quality. This is well reflected in Château Los Boldos’ wines, which are carefully made by head winemaker Diego Veragara and renowned consultant, Alberto Antonini.

The estate’s first vineyards were planted in 1948 and today Château Los Boldos has 170 hectares of vineyards planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Syrah. The Cachapoal Valley, in the foothills of the Andes, has a Mediterranean climate and high diurnal range, making it ideal for growing grapes that retain fresh acidity while achieving optimum ripeness. The nearby Cachapoal River also moderates temperatures, while stony alluvial soils in the vineyard ensure low yields. Château Los Boldos makes wine using fruit exclusively from their own vineyards, therefore retaining control from grape to bottle and ensuring consistently high quality in their wines.

Château Los Boldos’s wines are fruit-forward with distinct varietal characteristics. The whites are unoaked and fermented at a cool 13°C to retain freshness. The Sauvignon Blanc is bright and aromatic with vibrant acidity and the Chardonnay displays tropical fruit and citrus characters. The reds are aged in used French oak barrels for six months. The Merlot is well balanced with soft tannins, while the Carmenère is plush with plenty of blackberry and cassis character. The Cabernet Sauvignon has good structure with spicy blackcurrant notes.

The `Gran Reserva` wines are produced from a careful selection of plots in the Cachapoal vineyards, from vines aged over 10 years old. Both wines are harvested by hand, before ageing in French oak barrels for 10 months. The Cabernet Sauvignon is defined by aromas of fresh cassis and black currant. The Carménère has a round, full structure, with notes of ripe plum and dark chocolate.

`Grand Clos` is produced from the best plot within the vineyards, chosen to showcase the elegance of wines grown on alluvial soil. Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, this wine has soft, silky tannins with spicy cedar notes.