Emiliana Novas Gran Reserva Carmenere Cabernet Sauvignon

Voted by Wines of Chile as "Winery of the Year 2016", Emiliana is one of Chile's most exciting producers and pioneers in organic and biodynamic winemaking. Since 1998, this Chilean winery has been producing award-winning wines from almost 1,000 hectares of vineyards in prime sites including Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua and Bio Bio.

Its spectacular biodynamic vineyard and winery at Los Robles is a model that attracts visiting viticulturalists and winemakers from across the world. Emiliana's innovative and natural-leaning wines are made with great care and attention and the results are inspiring.

Emiliana began its conversion to organic production in 1998, and today 100% of its properties are organically managed. It is the world's largest organic winery. It holds organic certifications in accordance with the standards of the United States, Canada (NOP), Brazil, Chile, Japan, South Korea, China, and Europe. In 2006, Emiliana was the first winery in Latin America to produce a wine with biodynamic certification. Since then, the use of biodynamic practices at its farms and cellars has been accredited and today 100% of its properties are certified. Emiliana received its Fairtrade and Fair For Life certifications in 2011 and 2017, and has been selling fair trade wines since 2012.

Emiliana was a pioneer in the implementation of the Wine of Chile Sustainability Code certification in 2012. This standard was developed for the Chilean wine sector to support the implementation of sustainable practices at a national level, as well as social and environmental responsibility at Emiliana.

Emiliana is certified to use the Vegan Society trademark, which attests that its wines are produced without any animal-derived products.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere

Colchagua Valley has 20,000 hectares of plantations. These grapes grow under a unique climate, made by the Andes winds together with the coastal breeze, helping varieties such as Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen well. The average age of the vertically-positioned vines is 13 years, and they yield an average of 8 tons per hectare. The Colchagua Valley stands out for its Mediterranean climate with four well-defined seasons. The summers are hot and dry, which encourages proper ripening without interruptions. The valley ends at the Pacific Ocean, which has a positive effect on the vineyards because it cools the valley during the hot season.

The grapes were picked into 400-kg bins and transported to the cellar where they were deposited onto conveyor belts for a double selection process before and after destemming. Vinification began with a 4–5-day pre-fermentation maceration at 8ºC. Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with 80% native and 20% commercial yeasts at 26º–27ºC with a pumpover program determined by enological criteria. Upon completion, the new wine remained on its skins for an addition 5 days of post-fermentation maceration. Malolactic fermentation took place naturally in stainless steel tanks and barrels, where the wine remained at controlled temperatures for 12 months. The wine was neither fined nor stabilized, and prior to bottling it was filtered through a 1-micron membrane. The wine was aged for 10 months, 10% in French oak foudres, 40% in stainless steel tanks and 50% in French barrels.

A delicious, organic and expressive blend of Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Black cherry red with intense blackcurrant and typical green capsicum notes, that give way to hints of black pepper and tobacco leaf. The palate has a bright, fresh bloody feel common to Cabernet with Carmenère's darker leafy note. It's the quintessential expression of Emiliana's Colchagua vineyards at Los Robles.

Ideal with grilled or roasted red and white meats, such as grilled skirt steak, roast pork with wine and spice reduction, and pepper-crusted steak. Best served at 16º/17ºC in a Bordeaux-style glass.