Pionero’s Reserva Merlot pours to a violet-red with purple shade. With aromas of black fruits, such as blackberries and blueberries, with spicy notes of cinnamon and fresh herbs, the flavor is fruity, juicy, with firm tannins and an attractive combination of vanilla, clove and chocolate. Medium bodied, with fresh acidity and good persistence.
The grapes for this wine, harvested as of mid-March until the end of the month, come from the Maule Valley. There the soils are mainly of alluvial origin, show medium fertility and a sandy-loam texture. The vineyards are trained to the vertical shoot position and spur pruned. The use of drip irrigation is essential to adequately control the ripeness of the grapes.
Once harvested, the grapes are crushed, leaving approximately 20% whole berries. Then they undergo a pre-fermentative cold maceration for three days to achieve a better extraction of aromas. Fermentation, which takes place using selected yeasts, lasts about 15 days. During this period, we carry out gentle daily pump-overs to enhance the wine’s color and structure.
Pairs well with all kinds of pasta, corn pie, soups like Chilean cazuela, lean red meats and white meats.