Wines

Flaherty 2018 Aconcagua Valley

A red wine blend from the Aconcagua Valley of Chile
60% Syrah | 13% Petite Verdot | 10% Tempranillo | 17% Cabernet Sauvignon
Yields:
Syrah: 11 tons /ha
Petit Verdot: 98 tons/ha
Tempranillo: 1.4 kilos/plant
Cabernet Sauvignon: 9 tons/ha

77% Barrel aged for 18 months in French and American oak
23% Upright French oak tanks
10% New French and American oak barrels

Total production: 38,580 bottles
Bottling date: 28 and 29 December 2019
Alcohol: 14,6% (% vol.)
Volatile acidity: 0.71 g/l
pH: 3.65
Total acidity: 5.85 g/l tartaric acid
Reducing sugar: 2.21 g/l

The 2018 vintage featured a cooler growing season than 2017, with good yields and a somewhat later harvest (10 days later on average). The Syrah and Petite Verdot are sourced from the Redonda Vineyard located on the southern slopes of the lower Andes mountains near Panquehue in the Aconcagua Valley; they were harvested from 19 to 26 March. This vineyard has colluvial loam soils and is located at an altitude of 450 meters. The Ocoa Vineyard, in turn, has loam and sandy soils with plenty of coluvial stones; the harvest dates were 3 April for the Cabernet Sauvignon and 19 April for the Syrah. The Tempranillo is from our Magnolio Vineyard near Santa María, in a warmer section of the Aconcagua Valley, with alluvial loam soils and an altitude of 530 meters. The Tempranillo was picked on 5 March.

All the grapes were hand harvested and de-stemmed directly into either small one-ton open-top fermenters or old 4100 liter French oak uprights. The small-lot fermentations were punched down by hand three times per day. After macerating for a total of 10 days, on average, the wine was basket pressed and then racked to barrel. The wine aged 18 months in 225 liter barrels and 4100 liter old French oak uprights. The blend components included 10% new American oak barrels. The wine was filtered but not fined before being bottled.

TASTING NOTES

Our Flaherty 2018 Aconcagua displays notes of fresh cranberry, plum jam, red cherry, black licorice and dried peach (called huesillos in Chile). Aromatic violet, lavender, sour cherry, spearmint, fresh sage, cola, vanilla cream, toasted oak, and leather contribute complexity and depth. This medium-bodied wine has a twist of acidity on the entry and finishes with silky, juicy tannins. Best before 2025.

Ed Flaherty
Winemaker
ed@flahertywines.com

Flaherty Cauquenes 2017
de Cauquenes, Maule Valley

A dry-farmed red wine blend from Cauquenes, Chile
52% Tempranillo | 39% Petite Sirah | 9% País
Yields:
Tempranillo: 1 kilo/plant
Petite Sirah: 1 kilo/plant
País: 0.5 kilo/plant

100% Barrel aged for 18 months in American and French oak
17% New American oak

Total production: 6,570 bottles
Bottling date: 3 January 2019
Alcohol: 15.1% (vol %)
Volatile acidity: 0.65 g/l
pH: 3.71
Total acidity: 5.39 g/l tartaric acid
Reducing sugar: 2.35 g/l

We bought the fourteen hectare Tequel Vineyard property in 2008 and planted the vineyard between 2010 and 2011, using the traditional cultivation techniques still common in the region—in particular, dry farming and head training. The vineyard is located about 15 kilometers south of Cauquenes in the Maule Region of Chile and 42 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, which provides a cooling influence. The gently rolling hills of the area feature deep red clay soils of granitic origin. The Tempranillo and Petite Sirah were planted in 2010 based on the crazy theory that grape vines are hardy plants that can live on their own, without the pampering of drip irrigation or a trellis system. This approach was inspired by the original País vines growing on the property, which are older than anyone still living in the area. Thus, the Tequel Vineyard is dry-farmed and head-trained, and the wine expresses the land and viticultural traditions of Cauquenes, Chile.

TASTING NOTES 

Our Flaherty 2017 Cauquenes blend is mouth-filling and complex, with dry-farmed flavors and aromas, richness on the palate, and juicy rustic tannins. Wild blackberry, cherry, and licorice flavors are beautifully complemented by notes of leather, fresh raspberry, plum, pie spices, and an inky undertone of graphite. This is a wine that will age well, gaining complexity with time in the bottle. We recommend drinking by 2027.

Ed Flaherty
Winemaker
ed@flahertywines.com

Casa del Magnolio 2018
Cuatro Cepas, de Chile

Chilean red blend of four grape varieties from two distinct growing regions of Chile
46% Tempranillo | 12% Cabernet Sauvignon | 19% País | 23% Syrah
Yields:
Tempranillo: 1 kilo/plant
Cabernet Sauvignon: 8 tons/ha
País: 0.5 kilo/plant
Syrah: 10 tons/ha

73% Barrel aged for 14 months in French and American oak
27% Upright French oak tanks for 14 months

Total Production: 7,526 bottles
Bottling date:18 February 2020

Alcohol: 13.4% (vol %)
Volatile acidity: 0.46 g/l
pH: 3.72
Total acidity: 6.42 g/l tartaric
Reducing sugar: 2.00 g/l

The 2018 Casa del Magnolia / Cuatro Cepas is a blend of Tempranillo and Pais from our dry-farmed Cauquenes vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from the drip-irrigated vineyards in the Aconcagua Valley. The dry-farmed Tempranillo is the base of 2018 blend, contributing red cherry and leather notes with intense tannins. The old-vine Pais has characteristics typical of traditional country wines, with dried strawberry and peach notes. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aconcagua Valley has red dried fruit notes and herbal spice notes. The Syrah creates length on the palate and contributes rich black fruit flavors and a touch of licorice.

The Casa del Magnolio Cuatro Cepas Red blend is a fruit bowl of flavors and is easy-to-drink Wednesday night wine. Tempranillo contributes leather and cherry flavors, with chewy tannins. The lighter-bodied Pais component has dried strawberry and green peach notes. The spicy notes of dried herbs and ripe red fruits are from the Cabernet Sauvignon, with tannins that dance in the mouth. The Aconcagua Valley Syrah contributes silky tannins and licorice, providing a lovely contrast to the crunchy tannins from the dry-farmed Cauquenes fruit.

Serve at 13–15°C (55–59°F).

Ed Flaherty
Winemaker
ed@flahertywines.com

Casa del Magnolio 2018
Dos Cepas, de Maule Andes

An aromatic white blend from the foothills of the southern Maule Valley of Chile
80% Gewürztraminer | 20% Chardonnay

Total production: 3,200 bottles
Bottling date: October 2018

Alcohol: 13.3% (% vol.)
Volatile acidity: 0.45 g/l
pH: 3.40
Total acidity: 6.50 g/l tartaric
Reducing sugar: < 2.00 g/l

Casa del Magnolio 2018 / Dos Cepas is an aromatic blend from the El Radal Vineyard, located near the Longaví River. This cool zone in the foothills of the Maule Valley is ideal for the production of sparkling wines and aromatic whites. The base of the blend is Gewürztraminer (80%), an aromatic component with notes of lychee, rose, and pink grapefruit, good body on the palate, and an intriguing hint of bitters or gin. The Chardonnay, which accounts for the remaining 20% of the blend, is a sparkling wine cuvée, with high acidity and notes of white flowers and green apple. The grapes were harvested by hand, whole-cluster pressed, and fermented in stainless steel at temperatures of 14°C to 18°C. After fermentation, the components were held on the lees over the winter to achieve a natural cold stabilization. In the spring, the wine was treated with bentonite to achieve heat stabilization and assist with decantation. Note that because the wine was only decanted and then bottled unfiltered, the formation of tartaric crystals may occur, which is a natural part of the wine’s evolution.

Ed Flaherty
Winemaker
ed@flahertywines.com