Montes
Alpha M
VINTAGE
2018
COUNTRY
Chile
REGION
Colchagua Valley
TABLE #
201
95
Refined and powerful, with juicy richness to the raspberry tart, red plum and red currant flavors that are backed by vibrant acidity and tannins. The creamy finish is fine-textured, lingering with mineral and spice. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink now through 2027. 4,000 cases made, 550 cases imported. — KM
Montes Alpha M is the result of an extremely limited production and a rigorous selection of the grapes, one by one, led by Aurelio Montes. Coming from the Colchagua Valley, it is one of the best and most awarded wines of Chile. The vineyards that give rise to Montes Alpha M are located in the Apalta zone of the Colchagua Valley. The soils are of granitic origin and are shallow in the upper, mountainous sectors. They vary in the clay content, depth, amount of organic matter, and especially the types of rocks and stones they are made up of. The soils origin can also range from fluvial to glacial, which shows the great diversity of soils in our vineyards. Some zones are influenced by the Tinguiririca River and others by mudslides and the detachment of material from high above in the mountain chain that delimits the valley.
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
80% of this wine was aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels, and 20% in second-use French oak.
The 2018 season was exceptional, with fine conditions in both summer and spring, and average temperatures slightly lower than normal. This pushed back harvest more than expected, allowing for slower, more complex ripening processes, producing better acidity, color and concentration than in normal years. The work in the vineyard with controlling the kilos allowed us to achieve perfect phenolic ripeness, which translated into wines with vivid color and excellent flavors. The grapes arrived at the cellar in a healthy state, allowing for very good fermentation and a winemaking process that was unhurried, each lot receiving personalized care in order for it to express its maximum potential.
Deep carmine red color. Complex nose, with ample notes of ripe red and black fruits, syrup of cherries, figs and blackberries. Its permanence in French oak barrels is reflected in its toasted notes, sweet spices, tobacco and a certain note of humid earth and lactic character, toffee, delicacy of milk. On the palate it is balanced, with extremely silky tannins, ample volume on the palate, very well harmonized with acidity, and with flavors that reaffirm what is perceived in its aromatic part, to leave a long, fruity and vibrant finish on the palate.
Highly recommended with roast turkey, beef fillet, sherried kidneys, duck confit.
