Miguel Torres Cordillera Vigno Carignan

Description

Miguel Torres Cordillera Vigno Carignan is made from 100% Carignan grapes sourced from an old vine, dry-grown vineyard in the Maule Valley.

Familia Torres Wines first acquired a small winery in Curicó, in the Chilean Central Valley, in 1979. It was the first foreign company to back Chilean vineyard production. After almost thirty years, those original 100 hectares have turned into 445 hectares of vineyards owned by the company itself. The excellent climate conditions for cultivating grape vines, with great temperature differences between night and day and lands free of grape phylloxera, have contributed to the fact that sublime wines are being made in lands from where one can view the greatness of the Andes, crowned by snow and noble beauty. As of 2010, Miguel Torres Chile is directed by Miguel Torres Maczassek, a fifth-generation Torres winemaker who moved to Chile with his family to maintain the tradition and passion for winemaking that the Torres family has demonstrated for over a hundred years.

The Carignan grape variety has always been considered something of a workhorse. Historically, it was normally blended with other grape varieties and was in danger of falling into obscurity in Chile. In the 1980s Miguel Torres set out to revive the variety and the result was the first launch of Cordillera Carignan in 1996

The grapes for the Miguel Torres Cordillera Vigno Carignan originate from Torres’ vineyard in the Huerta de Maule sector in the Loncomilla Valley, Maule Valley. The vineyard has an elevation of 160 metres above sea level some 56 kilometres from the coast. The vineyard was planted in 2009, and grafted onto old Pais vines from 1930. The soils here are granite-derived with a transition from gravel to red clay. These are deep soils with good drainage and the low-fertility soils are perfect for Carignan, which has a natural tendency towards high vigour.

The 100% Carignan grapes are macerated for 16 days followed by alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine then undergoes malolactic, 100% in French oak. The wine is then aged for 14 months in French oak, 34% new barrels and 66% second-fill barrels.

What is this wine called “Vigno”?

The label prominently features the word “Vigno” which means that the wine is made following the rules of the Club Vignadores de Carignan, an association of like-minded Chilean wine growers who have banded together to make and promote wines made from dry-grown, old Carignan vines in the Maule Valley. Other members include De Martino and Lapostolle.

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