Escudo Rojo Gran Reserva 2019

James Suckling 93
A complex nose of mulberries, plums, dark cherries, dried flowers and spices. It's full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a fleshy texture. Velvety and structured, leading to a flavorful finish with good length. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cabernet franc and petit verdot.
by James Suckling, JS, 2021.

Description
The Escudo Rojo Gran Reserva is a fine blend of traditional grape varieties grown in our own vineyard and in rigorously selected parcels by our partners. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc grapes are selected by our technical team and vinified in the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Maipo Chile bodega. Year after year, that subtle combination yields a round, complex and concentrated wine with attractively expressive fruit.

Vineyard
This wine comes from the Valle Central, to the south of Santiago. The extensive vineyard is a patchwork of different terroirs which enjoy ideal climatic conditions for vine growing, especially a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Baron Philippe de Rothschild Maipo Chile's winemakers have chosen the Valle Central vineyards for the variety of soils which bring complexity and power in order to reveal the quintessence of the Chilean terroir. The north is dry with stony subsoil, while the damper south has clay soil which naturally provides a sufficient water supply.

Aging
Half the vintage is matured in one-year-old oak barrels for 12 months. 25% new oak and 75% in 1-2 year old oak barrels.

Tasting notes
The nose opens on an elegant combination of red and black fruit aromas, followed with airing by elegant spice and roasted coffee-bean notes. The palate has ripe red and black fruit flavors emerge on the attack, followed on the midpalate by powerful black fruit mingled with delicate spice and roasted coffee-bean notes. The fruit flavors found on the attack return, underpinned by beautifully refined tannins which give length and elegance to the finish.

Vinification
The entire vinification process is carried out at the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Maipo Chile Bodega, in the heart of the Valle del Maipo. Combining wood and steel in a distinctive architectural style, the bodega symbolizes the alliance between state-of-the-art technology and the great Bordeaux winemaking tradition. The grapes are hand-picked then brought to the bodega. They are hand-sorted several times then destemmed and lightly crushed before vinification. Vinification takes place in the Bordeaux manner at controlled temperatures in order to preserve all the aroma, flavor and freshness of the fruit. Blending, a crucial stage in defining the Escudo Rojo style, aims to combine Chilean character with Bordeaux elegance to create a round, fruity and elegant wine with a distinctive personality.