Carapé

Co-Fermented Elegance: Vineyard Overview

This is a co-fermented wine of six red varieties, all planted in the 5ha vineyard in the Carapé mountains in the Maldonado region of Uruguay. The varieties include Tannat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Marselan. The vineyard has a north-south orientation, with north-facing vineyards being the sunniest aspect in the southern hemisphere.

Geological Richness: Terroir Description

The soil has been extensively analyzed by international geologists, revealing that the vineyard is on rocks from the Zanja del Tigre Formation, belonging to the Lavalleja Group, with an approximate age of 750 million years. This formation consists of a sedimentary sequence of limestones and sandstones that, over time, have undergone metamorphic alterations, resulting in the marbles, quartzites, and micaceous schists found on the surface.

Inaugural Harvest and Co-Fermentation Necessity

The first harvest in 2018 yielded 4,500kg of Tannat, 800kg of Merlot, and 600kg of Cabernet Sauvignon. However, there were just two tanks of 3,000kg each. Thus, one tank was filled with 3,000kg of Tannat, and the second tank was filled with the remaining 1,500kg of Tannat, the 800kg of Merlot, and 600kg of Cabernet Sauvignon. Co-fermentation of these three varieties was a necessity. Once the fermentations were finished, they were transferred to first-use French oak barrels.

Award-Winning Blend: Recognition at Decanter World Wine Awards

The wine was made with what the first harvest produced and with the only tanks available, earning a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2020 with 96 points.

Expanding Complexity: 2020 Harvest and Maturation Process

In 2020, new plots of Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Marselan were harvested and co-fermented, this time including all six varieties from the vineyard. After 14 months of resting in tanks, the wine was transferred to French oak barrels for a further 14 months.