Polkura Malbec
VITICULTURE
Varietal Composition: 90% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Syrah
Appellation of Origin: Marchigue Area, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Trellising system: Vertical shoot positioning
Pruning: Cordon
Irrigation: Drip
Soil type: Decomposed granite and clay
VINIFICATION
Harvest date: Middle of March
Harvest method: Hand
Transport: 13 kg boxes
Fruit selection: Bunches in elevator, berries after Destemming Crushing: Rollers
Cold soaking (8-11°C): 3-4 days
Yeast: BO213, F33
Yeast nutrients: Go-Ferm, Superfood, DAP
Fermentation temperature: Day 1-3: 29-30aC
Day 3-8: 25-28oC
Alcoholic fermentation: 8 days
Pump-overs: Day 1-3: 3 per day Day 3-6: 2 per day
Day 6-end: No pump-overs
Total skin contact: 40 days
Malolactic fermentation: 100% in barrels
AGING
Blend in oak barrels: 100%
Coopers: Sylvain, Nadalié
Grain and toasting: Fine and Extra Fine. M+ toasting
Time in barrels: 15 months
Type of barrels: 100% French oak
Age of barrels: 20% new, 80% 2nd and 3rd use
Rackings: 1
BOTTLING
Stabilisation: No
Fining: No
Filtration: No
Bottling date: November 23, 2017
Stoppers: Lafitte Natural Súper 45/24
Bottling machine: Monoblock vacuum GAY
Total production: 555 cases
ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 14.5%
Residual Sugar: 2.03 g/l
Total acidity: 5.25 g/l
pH: 3.5
POLKURA is a wine growing project, started in 2002 by the Muñoz and Bruchfeld families, with the purpose of making an exceptional wine, based on the exciting Syrah grape variety. Marchigue, at the western end of the Colchagua Valley in Chile was chosen as the ideal site, for it has shown enormous potential to produce this varietal.
POLKURA is the name of a little hill, located inside the vineyard. On its slopes grow the grapes that make this wine. POLKURA means “Yellow Stone” in the native Chilean Mapuche language, making reference to large amounts of yellow granite spread along the clay soils of the area. Decomposed granite imparts the wine with minerality and elegance, whereas clay gives it body and structure. The moderate coastal climate adds spice and fruitiness,
resulting in a fine, yet complex and full-bodied wine with very good balance.
At the beginning of the summer in 2008, the Polkura Hill suffered a bush fire, threatening the vineyard and getting very close to the area where the Malbec is planted. Thanks to several neighbors, a disaster was avoided. Although a Malbec component had always been used in previous years for the Polkura Syrah blend, after this event this great Malbec deserved to be bottled on its own.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
2015 in Marchigue gave us another of the most notable harvests we’ve had in the last few years, with wines with lots of character. It was a relatively warm year, but most importantly it gave us a notable level of quality tannins.
TASTING NOTES
Deep violet in color. On the nose, there are floral aromas and some spice. On the palate, it’s a wine with big body but rounded tannins. The finish is medium-long. It’s intense, but always maintains its balance between the fruit and the acidity. Sven Bruchfeld, March 2018.