VIK : La Piu Belle 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for VIK La Piu Belle 2022

Tasting

Appearance
This Chilean red wine boasts an especially dark hue, verging on black at its core. In its youth, this deeply concentrated robe reveals subtle bluish and purple highlights.

Nose
Wonderfully rich, the bouquet unfolds in layers. It first releases intense aromas of perfectly ripe black fruits such as blueberry, blackcurrant and wild blackberry. These are then interwoven with floral notes of dried rose and patchouli, enhanced by touches of graphite, liquorice, sweet spices and sandalwood.

Palate
The attack is generous and the texture silky. The palate is carried by vibrant acidity and fine, tightly-knit tannins that lend great energy to the whole. The fruity, spicy and woody flavours extend long towards a lingering finish, marked by a refreshing minty touch.

Food and wine pairings

This great wine pairs beautifully with grilled or roasted red meats, such as wagyu beef or lamb in a Provençal herb crust. It also brilliantly accompanies slow-simmered dishes in sauce, as well as aged hard cheeses. Thanks to its vegan certification, it will equally elevate refined plant-based cuisine, such as a wild mushroom risotto.

Serving and cellaring

To fully appreciate this vintage, it is recommended to decant it around one hour before serving and to enjoy it at a temperature between 16 and 18 °C. Endowed with great potential, it can be kept in the cellar and will continue to improve until around the mid-2030s.

The purity and complexity of a great wine from the Cachapoal Valley

The estate

The story of the VIK project began in 2004 under the initiative of its current owners, Alexander and Carrie Vik, who acquired the land in 2006. Located in Chile, in the Central Valley area, this estate of around 4,300 hectares stands out for its holistic vision blending art, avant-garde architecture and respect for the environment. Led on an executive level by CEO Gastón Williams, the property runs entirely on renewable energy. With its ultra-modern winery and its vast native forest, VIK has today established itself as an essential benchmark of sustainable South American viticulture.

The vineyard

Set in the heart of the Cachapoal Valley, in the Millahue area, the vineyard benefits from a Mediterranean climate tempered by the influences of the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountain range. The vines, subject to low yields, thrive on a mosaic of microclimates and soils composed of decomposed granites, clays and sands. This Chilean estate practises sustainable agriculture, promoting biodiversity and limiting inputs.

The vintage

The 2022 year was marked by a particularly cool spring and summer cycle, one of the coldest observed over the last two decades. This atypical weather encouraged a very slow ripening of the berries, allowing exceptional phenolic concentration to be achieved while preserving great natural freshness.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest is carried out at night in order to preserve the integrity and freshness of the grapes. After a cold pre-fermentation maceration, fermentation is triggered by indigenous yeasts drawn from the estate's flowers. The wine, unfiltered and free of additives of animal origin, then benefits from 26 months of ageing in "Barroir" barrels, casks crafted and toasted on site from native oaks that have fallen naturally on the property.

Grape varieties

79% Cabernet Franc
21% Cabernet Sauvignon