2010
Season 2009 - 2010 was characterized by low winter temperatures with rainfall below that of a normal year, corresponding to 320 mm approx. Last season was 487 mm and 450 mm in normal years. In the early spring temperatures were low, becoming one of the coldest springs in the last four years, also recorded several events of frost, which in some cases caused damage in the vineyards. Low temperatures lasted longer than usual, arriving at the beginning of December, quite unusual for Casablanca, where the cold of 1 C or 2 ° C coincided with the phenological stage of flowering and therefore there was shifting, with consequent decrease in kilos from this expectation, primarily in white varieties.
Summer is presented with normal temperatures for the date, however, the stage of painting was developed slowly, reaching a length of three weeks.
The Vintage in general had a delay in the different areas of the valley two weeks. Began harvesting Sauvignon Blanc with a drop in performance of up to 40% in some areas of the valley. In the case of Chardonnay was also a delay of 7-10 days and Pinot Noir in about 1 week, both strains also experienced a decline in yield, between 20 and 5% respectively. The other red varieties such as Syrah and Merlot were affected to a lesser degree with low yield 10-5% and harvest dates 5-7 days later than usual.
Undoubtedly, home of the Vintage 2010 was marked by the earthquake grade 8, 8 held in the Bío-Bío Region on 27 February, just before the start of the harvest. Casablanca despite strong movement had no major drawbacks, both in the vineyards of the capacity of irrigation, as in the hold, were minor structural damage without compromising the ability to hold or to the programming of the harvest.
The low yields and moderate temperatures this season, made the wineries should have a planning and coordination is important crops, is said to be very technical one crop and had to wait more than grapes with a climate risk always uncertain, the was very favorable weather finally by the lack of rain during the harvest, which resulted in a good health of the grapes and being able to expect the optimum time of harvest in a year generally more delayed than normal. The wines are very good feel with a balance of acidity and ripeness, lots of fresh fruit expression, more juicy and elegant in the case of white varieties.
In the case of Pinot Noir is a wine high criminality, high acidity and freshness, ripe fruit and soft tannins, there are good prospects for 2010 wines.
2009
In the Valley of Casablanca the temperatures during the agricultural year were normal, though the winter appeared rainy. To the water accumulated in the soil there added the absence of frosts moderated in spring (the moderate frosts collaborate to throwing the fruit and to contribute a natural unload of the grapevines).
All that generated top performances to waited in all the varieties, though with an opportune raleo it was possible to attenuate partly this situation.
In the coastal zones, the summers seasons and autumn they were benign and the dates of the vintage were relatively similar to those of other years. Slightly colder temperatures in Casablanca provoked that the grape was delaying in reaching a bit more the sufficient maturity to harvest.
For his condition of coastal zone, the varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir appeared balanced and elegant with good acidity and tipicidad. The Sauvignon Blanc - more affected by a major production - appeared with good freshness and good tipicidad of aromas and flavors, though not so concentrated as in other years.
2008
The season 2007 - 2008 can be described as one of the most atypical. Between the principal factors that influenced his evolution they are the specially cold and dry winter, a spring with pronounced and late frosts, and a summer with high temperatures that were kept constant during March until April.
A particular phenomenon of the season was 2007-2008 that the phases of brotación, flowering, it becomes set and maturity they tended to join between early and late varieties, centering the vintage in less time than the habitual one. In view of all these conditions, as for production it was not of the best, but if in the quality of the wine. |