Errazuriz Don Maximiano 'Founder's Reserve' 2016

Viña Errázuriz’s flagship wine, named in honour of Don Maximiano Errázuriz, who founded the winery in 1870 in the heart of the Aconcagua Valley. Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve represents our legacy, tradition, and continuous quest to create the best and most elegant wine based on Cabernet Sauvignon and also reflects the best of terroir of the Aconcagua Valley.

denomination of origin: Aconcagua Valley

composition: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Carmenere and 3% Cabernet Franc

alcohol: 13.5º ph: 3.42 total acidity: 6.35 g/L (in tartaric acid) residual sugar: 2.1 g/L

ageing: 22 months in French oak barrels

The Don Maximiano vineyard is located in the Aconcagua Valley, and the oldest among them are Max I, Max II and Max V blocks. The region has a long dry season with moderately warm summer days cooled by the soft evening breezes that enter the valley from the Pacific Ocean. 

The three vineyard blocks that contribute grapes to Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve are planted on north or northeast facing hillsides with 5° – 25° of the slope. Max I has weathered intrusive igneous rocks (Diorite) and coarse alluvial soils, showing a high presence of mica with sandy loam texture. Max II has coarse alluvial soil with sandy to clay loam texture and 30% - 70% of subangular stone content. Max V has deep coarse-grained alluvial soil with up to 80% of well-rounded stones content and excellent drainage.

vintage notes : the overall cooler-than-average 2016 growing season at our Don Maximiano Vineyard delivered sophisticated wines that beautifully balance elegance with real power. The superbly delineated flavours are both fresh and fully ripe. Rainfall arrived well at winter having experienced a very dry beginning to the growing season. These rains extended until October alongside cold spring temperatures. This scenario delayed the expected date of bud break by 5 to 7 days and resulted in the slow growth of the canopy.

Towards the end of November, temperatures shifted to warm spring days, activating the vegetative growth while ensuring a healthy owering and fruit set. Summer began with warmer weather at the end of December, with temperatures that were close to recorded averages, and towards January it turned to slightly cooler conditions once again. Even though veraison began at a similar date to previous years, it was longer and more uneven due to the lower heat summation achieved. February arrived and provided warm summer days and a heat summation that was 6% higher than the average for this month, helping even out the heterogeneity of the crop. March was cold once again, so the grapes accumulated sugar at a gentle pace and reached phenolic maturation with a careful balance of bright acidity and mellow alcohol levels towards the end of the month and beginning of April. e total heat summation of the growing season was 7% lower than our recorded averages. The harvest was concentrated between the end of March and the beginning of April, and fortunately, we had most of our grapes in our cellar once the substantial rains of April arrived.

vinification Grapes were hand-picked in the cool morning hours and transported in small 15-kilograms boxes to the winery, where they were inspected on a double selection board to assure only the best quality grapes go to the final blend. Fermentation took place in small-volume stainless steel tanks to allow a larger proportion of contact between the skins and the juice. Up to three daily pump-overs were made according to the desired level of extraction. Depending on the individual development of each lot, they completed a total maceration time of 8 to 30 days. All lots were aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (65% new), where malolactic fermentation, clarification and stabilization occurred naturally. To best express the terroir of the Aconcagua Valley, and to increase the wine’s complexity, percentages of Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere and Cabernet Franc were added to the final blend to make it a truly complex wine.

tasting notes “Vintage 2016 of Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve is a year where we can truly appreciate the eects of a cool growing season. the result is a unique and breathtaking wine, with perfect balance and elegance. Aromas of roasted coffee bean, cocoa and cassis intermingle with notes of fresh cranberry and cherry pie. On the palate, penetrating red cherry, blackberry and blueberry avours predominate this inviting wine. ere are freshness and structure along with focus and pristine delineation. Great tension and concentration, with refined tannins and an amazing balance. This remarkable wine has immense potential.” - Francisco Baettig, Technical Director