DUQUESA D’A
“Duquesa is an elegant, mouth-filling, and complex Chardonnay.
Without fear of contradiction, she is on a par with many Burgundy Grand Crus.”
FRANÇOIS MASSOC
Remarkable Finesse
Chardonnay is his favorite grape variety and perhaps that is why they understand each other perfectly. They met many years ago in Burgundy. There he learnt how to understand her whims and moods. Its versatility and aging potential. And he was, perhaps forever, captivated by her beauty. Today they are reunited in Chile and enjoy the same foothill breeze and the purity of a wild and winding environment. “We have the boldness and confidence to push the grape variety to the limit: to the very top,” says François. Duquesa represents the ripeness and typicity of grapes grown in the Cachapoal foothills, enhanced by a pristine and fresh character.
Qualitative Heights
Duquesa comes from a massal selection of grapes whose origins probably date back to the old Burgundy vineyards planted in Chile in the second half of the 19th century. The vines explore soils dominated by surface colluvial deposits, that is, rocks and irregular rocks that fall from the mountain massifs. Planted on 10-degree slopes with southern orientation, the vines develop in full harmony, without excessive vigor, without wasting energy uselessly, and concentrating their efforts on their fruit. Growing at 1,000 meters (3,820 ft) above sea level, combed by a cool mountain breeze that blows stronger in the afternoon, the vines develop berries that are small worlds of aromas and flavors that explode during pressing.
“Chardonnay is the wine I like best. In France I learned to understand it, to interpret it, to love it. In Chile I always look for it and I find an outstanding quality”.
FRANÇOIS MASSOC
Long Live the Duchess
The average maximum temperatures in the Andean foothills rarely exceed 30º C (86ºF), so Chardonnay ripens slowly to perfection, without losing the acids that forge a vibrant character and enhance the aging potential of the wines. “Duquesa stands out by the ripeness of its grapes and its very low pH that paves the way to an outstanding aging potential,” says François. The wine has been crafted to transcend in time: concentration, structure, complete malolactic fermentation –transformation of malic acid into lactic acid– and aging for 24 months in French oak barrels to allow the wine to breathe, integrate, and boast its notes of flowers and white fruits, its lineage, and beauty.
