The grapes for this wine come from loamy, alluvial, well-drained soils around the Cachapoal River, which sits within the greater Rapel Valley. Upon arrival at the winery, all grapes were destemmed, table sorted and crushed to stainless steel tanks and inoculated with selected yeasts. Fermentation occurred quickly; temperatures reached peaks of 90ºF. The wine was then left to macerate for an additional 7 days, for added structure and longevity. The resulting wine underwent malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, of which 20% were new, and it was left to age for 10 months. The wine was finally assembled, filtered and bottled. 1,400 cases were produced.

Chilean Carménère has quite a following around the world, and for consumers who enjoy this particular variety, it´s all about the earthy notes and spiciness that make this wine so interesting. The most famous area for this grape is the broader Rapel appellation; however, for their Gran Reserva, Casas del Bosque sources the grapes from longtime growers located in the more specific Cachapoal Valley, where the most highly commended and awarded Carménères come from. The 2019 Gran Reserva Carménère in particular comes from Almahue in the Peumo sub-appellation. Since the season was particularly dry, fruit concentration was exceptionally good, which meant that in order to obtain the level of ripeness and structure that consistently characterizes this wine, the time in oak barrels was shortened by about two months versus the previous vintage. The result is a wine with great concentration and a seamless wood integration, which at the same time gives a pretty good idea of what the terroir in Almahe tastes like.

The fruit is sourced from an area called Almahue, long recognized for the quality of its Carménère, and part of the famed Peumo sub-region of Rapel. Planted sometime in the early 90’s, the crop yields were less than 10 tons per hectare for this vintage (4.5 tons per acre). Warm days and cool nights characterized the season. Average temperatures in summer were 71ºF, and in winter 52ºF. Mean diurnal shifts in March are 63ºF. Yearly rainfall is 315 mm on average, falling mostly between May and September; however, this particular season was exceptionally dry.