CHILEAN WINE

SANTA INES

Enigma Reserve Merlot

Vintage: 1998

Wine Advisor: Aurelio Montes

Wine Makers: Adriana Cerda Marcelo Retamal

Varieties: 100% Merlot

Appellation: Maipo Valley

Soil:

Well-balanced, sandy and very stony, the soils offer excellent drainage and poor  fertility.

Analysis:

 Alcohol : 13.70 vol%

Residual Sugar : 2.63 g/l

Total Acidity : 3.43 g/l

Maceration : 23 days

(Controlled Temperature)

pH : 3.75

Production:

The grapes were specially selected by the winemaking team and then hand-picked. The harvesting indicator used to determine the picking time of the grapes was the ripeness of the phenols. The grapes were them destalked and macerated pre and post fermentation at controlled temperatures in small stainless steel tanks. The malolactic fermentation took place during the post-fermentative maceration.

Maturation: The wine was then aged in French oak barrels.

Colour: Vibrant ruby red colour, with hints of violet.

Nose:

This wine has a powerful aroma in which we find a beautiful amalgamation of fruit and oak, with a nicely sweetened edge.

Palate:

Concentration of fruit and abundant tannins fill the mouth with incredible intensity. It is well-structured, with an elegant and smooth finish, full of character and personality.

Suggestions:

This wine should ideally be cellared for several years before consumption, reaching its potential in the first decade of the next millennium

Rating / Award:

1998 vintage won "Gold Medal" at The Challenge International du Vin, Vinexpo 1999.

1998 vintage won "Silver Medal" at The International Wine Challenge, Shanghai.