Viu Manent : Viu 8 Cuvée Infinito 2016

The complexity and depth of a Chilean red wine by Viu Manent

The estate

Originating from Catalonia, the Viu Manent family settled in Chile and created a wine trading company in 1935, under the name of Miguel Viu-García and his two sons Agustín and Miguel.

Miguel Viu Manent purchased the San Carlos de Cunaco estate in 1966, situated in the Colchagua Valley, marking the start of a new chapter in the family's history. The completion of major restructuring work on the estate enabled the Viu Manent family to produce fine Chilean wines year after year. Bursting with flavour, refined and aromatic, the wines from the Viu Manent estate enhance the richness of the Central Valley's exceptional terroirs in over 30 countries.

The vineyard

Viu Manent watches over a 325-hectare terroir spread over 3 vineyards.

The wine

Viu Manent's Viu 8 Cuvée Infinito 2016 is made from a rigorous selection of the best plots, some of which are over a hundred years old, within the San Carlos vineyard in the Colchagua Valley. This patchwork of terroirs is planted on sandy-clay alluvial soil which ensures an excellent drainage and thus, the optimal management of the water reserves for irrigation.

The vintage

The dry winter preceded a cold spring marked by rainy spells in September and November, due to the El Niño phenomenon. These conditions led to a delay in the growing cycle and decreasing yields. Although the summer was hot, the particularly cold and wet autumn delayed the harvest. Despite these challenging conditions, this vintage produced elegant wines with bright fruit and a harmonious blend of freshness and balance.

The vinification and ageing

In order to keep only the best grapes for this wine, a first selection is performed in the vineyard during the harvest followed by two successive sortings in the cellar, before and after destemming. Cold pre-fermentation maceration at 8ºC for 5 days. Alcoholic fermentation with selected yeasts in small steel tanks with short pumping over. Maceration for a total of 25 days before racking into oak barrels for natural malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 14 months in French oak barrels (25% of which are new) before blending, followed by a further 5 months of ageing in ovoid-shaped vats. The wine is bottled without filtration in order to preserve its concentration and character.

The blend

Viu Manent's Viu 8 Cuvée Infinito 2016 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Malbec (23%) and Cabernet Franc (12%).

The tasting

Colour

The wine has a beautiful ruby red colour with purple highlights.

Nose

The nose combines fragrances of blackcurrant, red fruit and cherry with subtle notes of undergrowth and cedarwood.

Palate

Concentrated and elegant, this wine seduces the palate with its fine tannins, its balance and its persistent and delicious finish.

Storage

Enjoy this wine now, this Chilean wine can also be cellared until 2028, enabling it to reveal its full aromatic range.