Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2024
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. There is structure and potential to evolve through time.
“The coastal Casablanca Valley is home to delicious savory Pinot Noir. A touch of sea-spray salinity marks the nose of this red. The juicy palate exhibits hints of spices and herbs, followed by cherries and mushrooms, backed by nice acidity throughout.”
91 Points – The Wine Enthusiast
Casablanca Valley is a wonderful place for cool climate varieties, but the 2023- 2024 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.
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. All of the resulting juice is aged for 10 months. 20% of it in new American oak barrels, another 20% in old American oak barrels, 5% in new French oak and the remaining 55% in old French barrels. The wine is then racked and kept in tank, then clarified with inactive yeasts until ready for filtration and bottling.
