Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2023
Color is darker and concentrated. On the nose aromas of strawberries, raspberries combine with darker fruit such as blackberries and plum. All of these primary aromas are integrated with tertiary oaky spices. Cinnamon, toasted nuts, a hint of coco and bourbon. The nose is complex and vibrant with more dark fruit and a violet aroma on the backside. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, with an elegant structure. Tannins are soft but impart a grip and enhance drinkability.
“This lively Pinot Noir was made with grapes from the coastal Casablanca Valley. The nose displays notes of flowers and hints of licorice. It’s young and fresh, with dried herbs, cinnamon, and hints of red fruit merging on the soft palate.”
90 Points – Wine Enthusiast
“A ripe, fruity pinot noir that shows aromas of roses, ripe raspberries, strawberries and fine herbs. Medium-bodied on the palate, with firm, lightly chewy tannins and a juicy, medium-length finish. Drink now.”
90 Points – James Suckling
Casablanca Valley is a wonderful place for cool climate varieties, but the 2022- 2023 growing season was a challenging one because of the hot summer. With that in mind, the winemaking team at Casas del Bosque decided to dial back on the oak usage that traditionally characterizes the Gran Reserva line, in order to better showcase the fruit quality of this Pinot Noir. The hillside nature of the blocks harvested prevent the direct impact of the ocean winds that cool down the valley, resulting in a ripe expression of the variety that still reflects an interesting acidity and minerality.
Technical Notes:
Vineyard located within the coolest, westernmost reaches of the Casablanca Valley. Grown on hillside blocks facing from north east to north-west. Vineyards planted between 2000 and 2010, equipped with drip irrigation. Crop levels are an average of 5 tons per hectare (2.5 tons per acre). All grapes were hand harvested by the beginning of April. The fruit is partially destemmed and cold soaked for 3-4 days. Spontaneous fermentation in open topped tanks. During fermentation the vats were plunged twice daily towards the end of the primary fermentation. Total cuvaison is two weeks at most. Malolactic fermentation was induced inoculating the wine with selected lactic bacteria. 20% of the final blend was aged into new American oak barrels for 10 months, 5% was aged into new French oak barrels for 10 months, 10% was aged into old Slavonian oak cask for 10 months, 10% was aged into old German oak cask for 10 months, 55% spent 10 months into old (4th-5th use) French oak barrels. The wine was then racked and kept in tank, clarified with inactivated yeasts until ready for filtration and bottling. A total of 2.800 cases were made.
