EVENTS AND NEWS
Montes Launches New Rosé - Cherub
June 15, 2006
Guests at the recent Montes Cherub launch were "tickled pink" by the presentation of the newest Montes Angel, Cherub, a Syrah rosé.
Aurelio Montes, winemaker and partner at Montes Winery in Chile, has long been smitten with the color pink, particularly in wine. Yet it took him a while to create a rosé which met with his high quality standards. After several years of experimentation, he settled on producing a rosé from Syrah, a grape he made famous in Chile with the country’s first-ever Ultra Premium 100% Syrah called Montes’ Folly in 2002.
STEADMAN CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF THE NEW WINE
Montes’ rosé is called “Cherub” in keeping with winery’s appreciation of angels, and building on its thematic angel logo. The infant angel is called “Alfredo” in honor of Alfredo Vidaurre, one of the founding partners of Montes. Given the fresh and young spirit of this wine, the iconoclastic British graphic illustrator Ralph Steadman (also responsible for the Montes Folly label) was brought on board to create the “look” of Cherub. The label he created features a whimsical rendition of Alfredo as the Montes’ Cherub—a pink-nosed, mischievous looking baby angel in diapers kicking up his heels in delight as if to invite others to partake of this refreshing new rosé. The wine is bottled with a cherry-red screw cap for ease of service.
MARCHIGUE IS HEAVEN FOR GROWING SYRAH
As explained by Aurelio, “I decided to make a rosé from Syrah grown in our Archangel Estate in Marchigue, in the Colchagua Valley. Our vineyards here are in a coastal area which provides the perfect temperature and conditions for producing a lovely, ripe rosé. I chose Syrah because this grape has a wonderful purple-red color and gives fresh yet structured wines that can be enjoyed as an apéritif or with food.”
Located only 11 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the cool breezes from the western facing slopes, together with the loamy soils, result in a slow maturation of the grapes which allowed for the perfect balance of citrusy acidity and bursting, ripe fruit. The Syrah grapes were hand-picked and sorted to ensure that only the finest grapes were used to make Cherub.
A SERIOUS WAY OF MAKING ROSÉ
The grapes were gently crushed, then transported by gravity to the tanks below in the winery where they then underwent “Vin d’une Nuit”. This is a process of cold maceration where the must is left in contact with the skins overnight (for approximately eight hours) to fully extract color and aromas and infuse the wine with flavor. Once the juice was racked until totally clear, it underwent alcoholic fermentation using selected yeast at 50º F for 20 days. To maintain the freshness of the wine, it did not undergo oak aging.
Montes’ rosé reflects their long-standing quest to produce top quality wines. It is not a by-product of bleeding or a “wrong” red wine, as Aurelio calls it. Instead, the same exacting viticultural and winemaking techniques that are used to produce every premium, super and ultra-premium level Montes wine are used to make this top class rosé.
A ROSÉ REFLECTING VARIETY AND TERROIR
Montes’ Cherub is a seductive, elegant, dry wine, with an intense cherry-pink color. It is a well-made expression of the grape variety and terroir. On the nose and the palate, it demonstrates a distinctive Syrah character with spiciness and hints of strawberries, rose petals and orange peel. With good fruit concentration, it shows richness in texture across the palate that leads to a delightfully long finish. It has a strong backbone of acidity and a slight amount of tannin that gives the wine a defined structure.
Aurelio recommends serving Cherub at a cool white-wine temperature (though not frigid). He also suggests, as most wine experts do, that rosé wines can never be served too young, but should be enjoyed within two years of the wine’s release. Surprisingly, he also likes to decant it just before service. “Considering that a rosé is a new wine, decanting avoids reduction and helps to supply the whole fruit potential of the wine.”
A VERSATILE FOOD WINE
With Cherub’s bracing acidity and straight forward berry flavors, it is a great match with not just summer fare, but also spicy and salty foods. Try spicy baby back ribs, salted potato chips, or as Aurelio suggests, “Sushi, seafood in general, grilled poultry, lamb and quail.” He also recommends it with fresh tomatoes, vegetarian and egg dishes, and a range of cheeses including Asiago, Parmegiano and creamy blue-veined cheeses. This wine’s versatility as a food wine ensures it can stretch its “seasonality,” making it a truly season-less wine.
At a suggested retail price of $17.00, Montes’ Cherub is an ideal wine that pairs well with a wide range of foods. Serve when the warm month’s sizzling temperature starts to climb, whenever you want to recreate the relaxed spirits of summertime, or simply when you want to “think pink.”
Contact
MontesAv. Del Valle 945, Of. 2611
Ciudad Empresarial, Huechuraba
Santiago 6583107
Chile
Tel: 56-2-248-4805 Visit their Website:
www.monteswines.com
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