VIK 2011 VIK
Vik is situated in the Millahue Valley (the place of gold) on the northern slope of the Apalta Valle... read more.
Vik is situated in the Millahue Valley (the place of gold) on the northern slope of the Apalta Valley, 200 Kilometers south of Santiago. The vineyard is densely planted, with 7,518 to 10,000 plants per hectare and six different rootstocks chosen, depending on the characteristics of the terroir, such as type of soil, climate and sun-exposure by parcel. July 2010 was colder than normal which delayed seeding by 10 days. September through January continued to be colder than average. We experienced lower average sunshine per day in December and January, which enabled the fruit to keep its freshness, concentration of aromas and elegance. February brought hot and sunny weather, which was very helpful in insuring good phenolic maturation in the late-ripening varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and particularly Carménère. March and April brought rainfall and clouds that encouraged slow maturity of the fruit. In summary it was a cool year with a higher than normal rain fall and a subsequent low yield. As a result the wine has great color, acidity, fruit intensity and very good balance. At VIK, the team harvests manually by night when the grapes are cooler to avoid bruising the grapes as they go through the process of sorting and crushing.
Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested April 4-26th, Carménère April 27th to May 6th, Syrah on April 8th and 11th, the Cabernet Franc on April 11th and 12th and the Merlot was harvested on April 10th.