Viu Manent, El Incidente, Gran Carménère 2020

El Incidente Gran Carménère 2020, Viu Manent

Colchagua Valley, Chile

Grape Variety: 85% Carménère, 15% Malbec

Alcohol: 14.5% ABV

The Story

El Incidente: Its name originates from a legendary hot-air ballon trip by Jose Miguel Viu with a group of friends in order to fly over our vineyards in Colchagua. The ride ended unexpectedly when they landed in the middle of a free market in the city of Santa Cruz.

This wine carries with it the essence of that incidental flight, where the unpredictable becomes inspiration. Like the balloon that challenged its route, “El Incidente” is a tribute to the accidental encounter that transformed the history of Chilean wine. The Carmenere variety emerged unexpectedly in Chilean vineyards in the early 1990s.

Vineyard & Winemaking

The grapes come from a selection of Viu Manent’s best vineyards, all located in the Colchagua Valley. The soils where the Carménère is planted are of volcanic origin with a presence of fractured rock in the entire profile, and with very good drainage. The Malbec vineyard was planted more than 100 years ago and is located to the west of the town of Cunaco,

The grapes were harvested by hand into 12kg boxes. The Carménère was harvested during the first days of April, and the Malbec at the end of March 2020.

 Once the grapes arrived at the cellar, the bunches underwent a selection, and were then destemmed, with the grapes then undergoing a second selection to eliminate any remaining leaves. The selection was followed by a cold pre-fermentation maceration at 10ºC (50ºF) for 5 days. The alcoholic fermentation took place in small stainless-steel tanks at temperatures between 23–24ºC. During the fermentation, 4 short pumpovers were performed daily. The total maceration time was 22 days, after which the wine was racked from the tanks to oak barrels and concrete eggs, where the malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. Of the total, 82% of the wine aged in French oak barrels (16% new), and concrete eggs (18%) for 16 months. 

Tasting Notes:

An intense violet colour. The nose is of a deep, elegant Carménère with black fruit and floral notes, including cherry, violet, black olive, and different spices. On the palate the wine has big structure and is very intense, with very present but polished tannins, and a great concentration of flavors, while being vibrant and deep, with a very long finish.

Cellaring & Service

Cellaring Potential: 10 years  

Serving Temperature: 16-18°C

Allergens: This wine contains sulphites