The company owns two different vineyards in the Maule Valley. The initial one, Fundo La Oriental is situated east of Talca, (hence its name), Capital of the VII region. The second one, a little more to the south, Fundo Las Casas, is set in the middle of gentle hills and pastoral scenery.
La Oriental estate: Located in the heart of the Maule valley, at latitude 35°27 ' 51 ° 00 S and 71°37 ' 01.17 ° W, and 50m above sea level.
Vineyards: Our vineyards are more than a century old. La Oriental estate is about 123 hectares, of which 86 are planted with varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere grapes.
Soil: The soil consists of sediments transported by rivers and by glaciers. At La Oriental estate we have soils series of the San Rafael and Talca types.
- Series San Rafael: the soil is sandy clay loam, with a surface colour of a dun-reddish; beneath this layer there is volcanic sandstone.
- Series Talca: the soil is sandy clay loam and is coffee coloured, with a moderate depth of 70cm; beneath this layer there is rounded gravel and clay.
Climate: This region has a Mediterranean Climate with a dry season lasting 4 to 5 months; winters are very cool and wet with an average annual rainfall of 600 mm (23,6 in).
During the ripening period from January to February, the minimum temperature averages 11°C (52°F), with maximums reaching 30°C (86°F). These temperature differences between daytime and nighttime provide excellent conditions for the development of aromas and color, especially in our red wines.
Las Casas estate: Located on the way to Constitución, approximately 15km southwest of San Javier , at latitude 35°36 ' 12.20 ° S and 71°48 ' 14.15 ° W, and 115m above sea level.
Vineyards: Our Las Casas estate is in process of obtaining organic certification, which should be completed by 2008.
We have 101 hectares, of which 50 are planted with Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenere grapes. The grapevines are between 10 and 30 years of age.
This estate is home to a drought resistant native esclerofil forest, which grows in the glens and by the streams around the Coastal Mountains.
Soil: The soil type is Melozal series, of granitic origin (rock which has eroded over the millennia), the surface layer is sandy clay loam and below, dark coffee coloured sandy loam, with a moderate depth of 90cm.
Climate: This region has a Mediterranean Climate with a dry season lasting 4 to 5 months; winters are very cool and wet with an average annual rainfall of 720mm (28,3 in).
During the ripening period from January to February, the minimum temperature is approximately 12°C (54°F), with maximums reaching 33°C (91°F). These temperature differences between daytime and nighttime provide excellent conditions for the development of aromas and color, especially in the red varieties.
Winery: At the beginning of the 1990s, we pioneered, after Miguel Torres, the introduction of stainless steel vats.
Our vision of producing fine, quality wines motivated us to upgrade our facilities to comply with the highest technological vinification standards and to create an expert team of professionals.
The Winery:
- The winery has a total capacity of 2,200.000 litres (580.000 gallons) and we have the most modern equipment to produce quality wines.
The bottling line:
We have our own complete bottling and labeling line, which allows us the luxury of completing the wine-making process with care and precision. Beginning with our Super Premium wines, all our products are estate bottled, which means that the grape production, vinification and bottling is completed on our premises. This guarantees both the origins of the grapes, and their high quality.
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