Vineyards

Camino Real owns 123 hectares of land, a 90% of which is in current production. The vineyards are located between parallels 33 and 34 to the southeast of the Andes Mountains in Chile’s Central Valley –within the Picarquín series in the National Map of Chilean Soils-. Stony streaks meander through some areas of the vineyard. Denomination of Origin is Cachapoal Valley.

Textures are basically loamy, with some clay-loamy, sand-loamy and silt-loamy lesser portions. Soils are aired and tepid and they favor root growth. They display very good water percolation with a field capacity of no more than 60 hours after irrigation.

Fertility is moderate to poor and soil depth does not go beyond 1 meter. The freatic water table is located at approximately 25 meters and pH is between 6.8 and 7.1.

Regional climate, with its day-to-night hot to cool oscillation, is ideal for the production of healthy, high-quality grapes. The vineyard is located at the meeting point between two mountain ranges, which protect it and keep late spring frosts at check. Summer is characterized by high temperatures during daytime followed by cool evenings, these are fostered by the south breezes that sweep through the valley and create conditions for a slow, steady ripening. The considerable temperature gap between day and night favors the physiological processes associated to good color in red wines. Rainfall is mostly limited to the winter season, between June and August, and the soil provides excellent natural drainage. Aside from circumscribed to a specific season, rains are also moderate; this helps vintners keep their grapes healthy and free from pathogenic fungi, which would have an adverse effect on harvest and interfere with the normal development of yeasts.

vinedos The most planted variety is Cabernet Sauvignon. Our wines are only made from self-grown fruit. Other varieties planted include Merlot, Carmenère and Chardonnay. In 2000, some Viognier, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Syrah clones were also planted. This vineyard was started back in the 19th century, with vines imported from Europe. Over the years, the vineyard-covered surface has grown by means of simple propagation through cuttings. We know that new times bring new technologies and trends, but here we abide by the tradition of making a good wine by patiently waiting for our efforts to bear fruit.

Approximately 37% of the vineyard is between 20 and 30 years old, 15% between 6 and 19, and the remaining was planted less than 7 years ago. Carmènere, “the lost grape that was rediscovered in Chile”. This variety, which has been grown in our country for several decades, was imported from Bordeaux around 1850, but was planted and commercialized as Merlot. It was thought to have disappeared from the face of the earth, since French vintners stopped growing it over a century ago. But, during the early 90s, ampelographers discovered that a good portion of the Chilean vines thought to be Merlot were actually Carmènere plants.

Camino Real bottles this variety on its own. It produces a darker, richer and riper red wine than Merlot, with vegetal and spiced flavors.