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CASE PRICE = $23.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)

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About This Wine:

55% Carmenere, 30% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.  1,500 cases produced.

The Siegel Winery owns a total of some 450 hectares in the Colchagua Valley. The varieties of grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with other new varieties increasingly in demand in the different markets soon to be added. In the last few years this winery¹s business orientation has taken a new turn with the decision to produce and market its own wines. The winery produces a range of varietal wines, along with reserve wines that highlight the quality of the grapevines born in this valley. They are products with world-class quality, for international distribution and consumption.

The Gran Crucero wines are produced from the best vineyards, from grapes harvested at their ideal maturity, and aged in French and American oak barrels.

The grapes are carefully hand picked, selected and taken to the crusher where the stems are separated. They are placed in stainless steel tanks for cold maceration for 5 to 6 days. Temperature is carefully raised to start fermentation at 24ºC and 28ºC in order to keep varietal aromas. During the initial fermentation, a daily pump over is done and when fermentation is finished part of the wine is left in post fermenting maceration for 2 to 3 weeks; it is then separated from the skins and pressed. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels (30% American and 70% French), where the wine stays for about 16 months. Finally a soft clarification and a cold stabilization when necessary are done.
Aged in American and French oak barrels for 14 months.

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Lovely and intense violet color. It has aromas of confiture, notes of spices, green and red pepper, well complemented with smoky tones and intense coffee and tobacco aromas. Soft tannins, it is a rounded and expressive wine, very generous, nice concentration and sweet flavors to the end, with spicy and peppery flavors.

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Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - 90 Points:
"Powerful, deeply scented aromas of cherry-cola, cassis, licorice and vanilla, with a spicy overtone. Spicy and surprisingly lively on the palate, offering fresh red and dark berry and oak spice flavors and a strong note of anise. The finish repeats the red fruit and leaves a tangy, peppery quality behind. This surprisingly youthful wine benefits from an hour of air; better yet, I'd stash it away for at least a couple more years." -Josh Raynolds Mar/Apr 2010