Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon (Lafite)

Description

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine made by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in Chile. Lafite took full ownership of Vina Los Vascos in 1988. The estate, located in the Colchagua Valley, is named “Los Vascos” meaning The Basques, in honour of its Basque origins. The estate originally consisted of some 2,200 hectares of which 220 hectares were under vine.

The new Los Vascos project included major investment under the direction of the Technical Director at Château Lafite Rothschild between 1983 to 1994. The vineyard was restructured, a replanting programme was put in place and yields were reduced. Drilling provided a plentiful source of water and a weather monitoring station was installed in the vineyards. The vineyard was restructured, a replanting programme was put in place and yields were reduced. The bodega itself was enlarged and modernised step by step to cope with the new requirements in winemaking and ageing. The refurbishment included the installation of stainless steel tanks, pneumatic presses and improvement to the barrel cellar.

Los Vascos is now a single plot, 580-ha vineyard in the heart of a 3,600-ha hacienda. The vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Carmenère (5%), Syrah (4%), Malbec (1%) and Chardonnay (5%). The also produce a reserve range of wines called Cromas and a flagship wine called Le Dix de Los Vascos.

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon (100%) is the estate’s classic red wine and the grape that made the estate famous. After harvest the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed immediately upon arrival at the winery. The wine was fermented in stainless steel followed by a maceration period of 10 to 15 days. The wine is then allowed to undergo malocatic fermentation in stainless steel. It always has a mature and fruity quality, fresh aromas, and a supple and fleshy structure.