Caliterra Cenit 2016.

This icon wine takes its name from the highest point in the sky. Every December 21, the southern hemisphere experiences the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. That is the day the sun reaches its zenith (Cenit in Spanish) above their vineyard, and they celebrate it by making the final blend, which aims to express the synergy of the best characteristics of each variety selected for this wine.

Cenit reflects the best of each vintage and the bond of knowledge and work. A blend that rests for 24 long months in French oak barrels. An extended ageing time that allows this wine to reach greatest elegance and complexity.

Deep violet-red colour with ruby rims, the 2016 Cenit has a more austere and myserious expression than its former versions. It is elegant and complex on the nose, showing forest fruits such as blueberries and redcurrants, mineral touches, nuts such as almonds, and spices like grey pepper, along with gentle notes of violets that make a great closure to this wine. It feels elegant and deep on the palate, with notes of sour cherries and wild raspberries that show up to complement this complex wine from Colchagua. Its vibrant acidity and great structure allow predicting a nice ageing and a long-lasting life.

VINEYARDS: The grapes used for this wine were sourced from selected lots from the Caliterra Estate in the Colchagua Valley. The Caliterra estate is located 200 km (125 miles) south of Santiago and 60 km (37 miles) from the coast at 150 metres (500 feet) above sea level. The vineyard is vertically trained, spur pruned, and drip irrigated. The Coastal Mountains are lower in Colchagua than anywhere else in the country allowing cool ocean breezes to enter the valley every afternoon, resulting in hot days and cool nights during the ripening season. The high diurnal temperature difference, triggers accumulation of polyphenolics and antocyanins delivering wines with intense colour and structure.

WINEMAKING: 85% of the wine is fermented in 3rd use barrels while the other 15% is fermented in stainless steel tanks. 100% of the wine is then aged for 33 months in french oak barrels, of which 64% are new.

The Cenit is the blend that they think best represents the character of a given vintage, and it is matured in used barrels and concrete for almost three years before bottling and therefore is sold later. The current release is the 2016 Cenit, which is 59% Malbec, 37% Petit Verdot and 4% Syrah matured for 20 months in oak barrels and 12 months in concrete. 2016 was an unusually cold and rainy year; the wines have moderate alcohol and a lot of freshness, but the fruit feels riper. It's still a little oaky, and there is some creaminess, with abundant tannins that would benefit from some bottle aging. 4,200 bottles were filled in February 2019 - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Adovocate, Feb 28, 2020.