Montes Alpha Malbec is intense ruby red in colour with violet hues. On the nose, aromas of ripe cherries and violets appear first, followed by notes of vanilla and dulce de leche from the French oak. It is a well-balanced wine with rounded tannins and a long, lingering finish.

About the Producer

Montes Wines was established in 1988 after the addition of two further partners, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand to the original visionary partners, Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray.  Murray and Montes both had extensive experience in the world of wine and wished to make their dream come true of being the people responsible for raising the bar for the quality of wine production in Chile.  The four men all made exemplary contributions to creating and establishing 'Discover Wine Ltda' now known as Viña Montes.

Aurelio Montes has since said of their venture "The Viña Montes adventure was almost a retirement project for us. We wanted to make a small, boutique-type vineyard to entertain ourselves the day we were definitely retired and that would also allow us to show off good wines in international markets."

Vineyard and Winemaking

The grapes come from Montes' own vineyards in Apalta and Marchigüe, arguably two of the finest sites in the Colchagua Valley. The sites are irrigated via a sustainable system, developed by Aurelio and his team, which allows for extremely precise and minimal irrigation, reducing their water footprint by 65%. Both properties have soils of granitic origin with varying amounts of clay and organic matter. In Apalta, vines are planted on 45° slopes, providing good exposure. Cool breezes and low night-time temperatures help to moderate temperatures in this area, allowing for slow fruit development and retention of varietal aromas and acidity. Marchigüe is cooler because of its proximity to the ocean. Conditions are dry, reducing the threat of disease and resulting in consistently healthy harvests. All grapes are hand harvested.

The grapes were cold soaked for five days to extract aromas, before fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless -steel tanks for 12 days. The wine also went through a period of post-fermentation maceration on the skins to develop structure and colour. After malolactic fermentation, 50% of the final blend was aged in French oak barrels (33% new) for 12 months to add complexity and roundness.

Visit the Montes website