Alcohol: 14%
Grape(s): Colchagua Valley, Chile
Localization: 100% Carmenere
Tasting Notes: The wine shows an intense violet-red color, black fruits and pepper aromas, and mild notes of violets. The tannins are soft, and notes of black fruits linger through the palate with long persistence.
Notes: Cold pre-fermented maceration for five days. Alcoholic fermentation between 27º C and 29º C to obtain better color and structure. Complete malolactic fermentation. Once the blend is made, the wine is gently clarified and stabilized in cool temperatures if necessary. Aging: 25% of the wine matures in American oak barrels for six months.
Food pairing: Pastas, spices foods.
The Domain: Alberto Siegel was born in Santiago in 1946, the third generation of an Austrian family in Chile. His grandfather was an Austrian architect that built some very important and traditional buildings in downtown Santiago, at the beginning of the 20th century, including the Chilean Federal Reserve. His father, Don Germán, was a viticulturist who spent most of his career in charge of Viña San Pedro's vineyards near Molina, 140 miles south of Santiago. There Alberto grew up, literally in the middle of the vines. It was not a surprise when he decided to study Agronomy and specialize in winemaking at the Universidad Católica in Santiago.
Alberto and his father founded Viña Siegel (now Siegel Family Wines) in 1980. They started planting vineyards in Colchagua and building the Winery in Santa Cruz. When Don Germán died in 1998, Alberto became the owner, together with his family. Initially, Viña Siegel only sold bulk wines to the biggest Chilean wineries, like Concha y Toro, San Pedro, and Santa Rita. In 1997, Alberto entered the bottled wine business and made the necessary investments to proceed with this project.
The Colchagua valley is located in the Central Zone of Chile. It is a 'Transverse Valley", ' meaning it is a valley formed by a river, in this case, the Tinguiririca, running east-to-west towards the ocean. The valley cuts out at a ridge or mountain at right angles. The Colchagua valley is the leading fine-wine-producing region in Chile.
It is in this valley where Alberto Siegel grew his first vines, which would later become Siegel Wines. Now they have more than 700 hectares (1,729 acres) planted, located in the Andean foothills and the coastal zone of the valley. Their vineyard sites are:
- Los Lingues is one of Siegel's principal vineyards, consisting of 170 hectares (420 acres). It is in Los Lingues, Alto Colchagua, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It has a Mediterranean microclimate typical of the Andean foothills. Los Lingues is the Mapuche name for a tree. The soils in Los Lingues have excellent drainage and are of Alluvial (deposited by water) and Colluvial (deposited by gravitational forces) origin. There is little organic and fertile material. Viña Siegel has found more than 60 different types of soil here. The exceptional combination of rocky soils is perfect for varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Petit Verdot, and Grenache. In contrast, the moderately deep clay soils are ideal for Carménère, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Malbec. The climate and soils of Los Lingues give rise to more structured wines with great body and color, smooth tannins of dry fruit, and an exceptional balance.
- El Crucero in Palmilla has 60 hectares (148 acres) of Cabernet Sauvignon. Wines produced from this vineyard are highly concentrated, with mature fruits and very sweet tannins. El Crucero experiences a diverse climate, warmer during the day and cold at night. It is grown on alluvial soils created from the waters of the mountain range.
- San Alberto de Peralillo vineyard is located 6km inland from Peralillo in a sector called Parrones, at the extreme west end of the Colchagua Valley, an ideal place due to its coastal-influenced climate. The soils originate from the large volcanic eruptions of the 'Ring of Fire' in the high Andes Mountains. 205 hectares (506 acres) planted with 8 different varieties.
