Cousiño-Macul Classic Chardonnay

Wine Description
The 2009 season presented prime conditions for the maturation of white grapes. A cold winter with normal rainfall and a warm and dry summer resulted in white wines of excellent quality, with attractive aromas and vibrant acidity. The grapes were picked at the beginning of March and were hand selected before being crushed. The must was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 55°F for a period of 30 days. To add complexity, two different varieties of yeast were used that work slowly in cool conditions to bring out different fruit characteristics. In order to retain the fresh fruit flavors, the wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation.
Acclaim
Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name:
Buin and Macul Vineyards
Vineyard size:
Various acres
Soil composition:
Calcareous soil, sand and rough stone
Elevation:
1,320-1,890 feet
Vines/acre:
2,000 in Buin and 920 in Macul
Yield/acre:
2.6 tons
Exposure:
North and South
Year vineyard planted:
Various
Harvest time:
Early March
First vintage of this wine:
2002
Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
30 days
Fermentation temperature:
55 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
No
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Size of aging container:
41,000 L
Length of aging before bottling:
4 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.33
Acidity:
4.79 g/L
Alcohol:
13.8 %
Residual sugar:
1.07 g/L