Tasting Notes

A "Merlot with something extra" one panelist enthused. Aresti's Reserve Merlot melts with traditional mocha and blackberry, but firms up with anise, crushed leaves, and currant. A light dusting of vanilla adds an almost sweet aroma, kind of like a latte. This red will carry conversation from appetizer to dessert. Drink now.

Winery Story

Aresti's three vineyard sites were blessed with ideal weather conditions in 2004, yielding perfectly ripe fruit with great concentration of aroma and flavor. They chose the finest lots from each vineyard to produce this wine. The grapes come from their Bellavista estate and from selected lots in La Favorita y Micaela estates, all located in one of the largest winemaking regions, the Curico Valley.

The grape bunches were hand-harvested into boxes and taken to their sorting tables to remove any under or over-ripe fruit before being crushed and then sent to the fermenting tanks. After fermentation the wine was transferred into French oak barrels for 13 months of aging. The barrels were of various ages, allowing for heavy to light oak flavor to be imparted to the wine.

After aging, Vicente Aresti Rodriguez's skilled winemaking team chose from the finished lots, which barrels were to be combined into Aresti's Reserve. Color, depth of flavor, and balance were all considered in the final blend, yielding a wine with finesse and concentration.