Montes Alpha Special Chardonnay (750ml)

The Chardonnay grapes for this special cuvee are sourced from the appellation of Zapallar in the coastal province of Valparaiso which is within the broader Aconcagua Costa wine region.  Just 7 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean and located in the northern part of Aconcagua Costa.  Viña Montes is the only winery with vines planted in this new DO, characterized by cool, cloudy summer mornings, with sun at midday, and afternoons that see clouds reappearing with low temperatures. These conditions favor a slow ripening of the grapes that allow them to develop complexity and powerful aromas.  

The grapes are handpicked, destemmed and batches were processed in three different ways:  whole-cluster pressed; destemmed and pressed; and cold-macerated for a few hours. The three techniques have different objectives that help work with aromatic extraction from the skins and with the level of structure we want on the palate.  Some of the juice undergoes Malolactic fermentation.  About 40% of the components of the final blend is fermented in French oak barrels with differing degrees of toast for 12 months.