Andes Plateau Cota 500 Cabernet Sauvignon

Andes Plateau in the Maule valley of Chile is a family winery centered on their passion for mountain wines! The husband-and-wife team of Felipe Uribe and Maite Hojas had their first harvest in 2012 although both have worked in the industry for some time. Few, in Chile, risk working in the mountains because of the frost…but Felipe and Maite clearly believe the reward outweighs the risk. At Andes Plateau, their vineyards are mostly Cabernet and Chardonnay (they have some Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Merlot also) grown in the Andes mountains. The beginning point is above 500 meters (the foothills of the Andes) hence the line of wines named Cota 500, but they also work even higher with a line called Cota 700. The benefits of the mountains are very cool nights and fresh winds that keep the plants healthy and slow the ripening process resulting in wines with good intensity but also freshness and balance. Beyond these spectacular terroirs, they approach the winemaking with some basic rules – no cultivated yeasts, no acidification and only a very small dose of sulfur before bottling. The winery is built of very thick walls of mud which maintain cool and stable temperatures for fermentation and aging. The wines often age in 3,000 liter old French foudres which ultimately provide shape and texture to the wines rather than a strong oak influence. Stylistically, these are not big, over-the-top wines, but are cut from a cloth of intense yet elegant and energetic wines that keep bringing you back for another sip!