Viña Leyda Pinot Noir Las Brisas 2014

New horizons are a wondrous thing, and the Leyda Valley is exactly that. A new valley opened up by winemakers with a touch of the prospector about them, taking risks in the hope that they might strike liquid gold!

Well, if you have a glass or three of this, you will probably agree with us that there's gold in them thar hills and Vina Leyda are bottling it for your drinking pleasure!

Viña Leyda is located at the west side of the coastal mountain range of Chile, just seven kilometres from the Pacific Ocean and 95 kilometres west of Santiago. As a consequence of these climatic conditions, the ripening period occurs at a slow pace, which leads to the development of pure fruity aromas, flavours, minerality and a perfect balance of sugar level and acidity in the grapes. All the Pacific Ocean influence is reflected in this wine, where the cool sea breezes collide directly in the vineyards, maintaining the fresh temperatures in each vine.

This wine is 100% Pinot Noir from Las Brisas estate vineyard in the Leyda Valley that was planted in 1998 on a south western facing slope. Because of this exposure, this block gets somewhat less sunlight and the influence of ocean breezes is higher. The ripening process occurs at a slower pace, contributing to the development of special flavours and aromas. Production in this bloc k is 3.6 tonnes per hectare.

The grapes were hand harvested and de-stemmed. 30% of the grapes were kept whole (not crushed) during cold maceration and the beginning of fermentation. The grapes were chilled to 10°C and remained in open stainless steel tanks for six days before the introduction of selected yeast strains. Fermentation took place over 7 days at 26-28°C with punch downs 3-4 times per day. The wine was racked into second-use French oak barrels and aged for 10 months.

Viña Leyda Pinot Noir has a bright colour with a clean and direct fruity nose. It has hints of red cherries, raspberries with a subtle wild herb note. It is delicate and refined on the palate but maintains a pleasant juiciness, with ripe flavours of berries combined with mineral notes and a lively acidity.

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