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Vineyards
Viña Casa Donoso incorporates four vineyards in the Maule Valley. The first, La Oriental Estate, lies east (from there its name) of the city of Talca, capital of the Maule Region. The second, Las Casas Estate, is situated in the region of San Javier. The third, San Vicente Estate, is located just a few kilometers north from La Oriental Estate and the latter is Pencahue.
The vineyards of Casa Donoso are planted on flat lands and rolling hillsides. This circumstance, added to the high average age of the plants and the unique climate, guarantees high quality fruit, a forceful concentration of aromas, and wines of a great body.
La Oriental Estate
It is located in the very heart of the Maule Valley at 50 meters above the sea level.
Latitude : 35°27’51’’ S and 71°37’01” W
Vineyards : With plants of more than 60 years of age, La Oriental Estate has a surface of 137 hectares, 87 of which are planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère.
Soils : The kind of soil of this vineyard is of sedimentary origin, formed by sediments carried by rivers and glaciers. At La Oriental Estate soils are qualified as San Rafael and Talca Series.
— San Rafael Series : Clay loam soil, which shows a reddish brown color on the surface and has a volcanic sand underlay.
— Talca Series: Clay loam soil of dark brown color with a moderate depth of 70 cm, with a substratum of spherical pebbles and clay.
Climate : The temperate Mediterranean climate explains to a large extent the advantage of these vineyards. The dry season extends to four or five months; winters are cold and moderately rainy, with an average rainfall of 600 mm per year. During the maturation period between January and February, temperatures extend from a minimum of 11°C to a maximum of 30°C.
These marked thermic variations between day and night provide excellent conditions for the development of aromas and color, in particular for red varieties.
Las Casas Estate
It is located on the way to Constitución –on the coastal sector of the Maule Valley-, some 15 km south-west of the village of San Javier at 115 meters above sea level.
Latitude : 35°36’12’’ S and 71°48’14’’ W
Vineyards : Las Casas Estate includes a surface of 100 hectares, 50 of which are planted with Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carménère. The plants have an age of 10 to 30 years. The estate preserves a native sclerophyll forest, especially adapted to resist the dry season as it is located on the slopes of the coastal range and the channel shores.
Soils : The soils respond to the Melozal series, of granitic origin (rock that broke through the years), with a clay loam surface and sandy-loam in the depth, of dark brown color and a moderate stratum of 90 cm.
Climate: Temperate Mediterranean climate with a dry season of four to five months; winters are cold and rather rainy, with an average yearly rainfall of 720 mm.
During the maturation period between January and February, temperatures range between 12°C and a maximum of 33°C. It is well known that these marked differences in temperature between day and night provide excellent conditions for the development of aromas and color, in particular for red varieties.
San Vicente Estate
It is located in the central part of the Maule Valley at 50 meters above sea level.
Latitude : 35°27’51’’ S and 71°37’01’’ W
Vineyards : With plants that are more than 50 years old, the
302-hectare Fundo San Vicente property includes 186 hectares planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and Pinot Noir..
Soils : The kind of soil of this vineyard is of sedimentary origin, formed by sediments carried by rivers and glaciers. At La Oriental Estate soils are qualified as San Rafael and Talca Series.
— San Rafael Series : Clay loam soil, which shows a reddish brown color on the surface and has a volcanic sand underlay.
— Talca Series : Clay loam soil of dark brown color with a moderate depth of 70 cm, with a substratum of spherical pebbles and clay.
Climate : The temperate Mediterranean climate explains to a large extent the advantage of these vineyards. The dry season extends to four or five months; winters are cold and moderately rainy, with an average rainfall of 600 mm per year. During the maturation period between January and February, temperatures extend from a minimum of 11°C to a maximum of 30°C.
These marked thermic variations between day and night provide excellent conditions for the development of aromas and color, in particular for red varieties.
Fundo Pencahue
Las Tizas Poniente
Is located on the coast of the Maule Valley, specifically in the Pencahue zoneOnly 26 of its 139 hectares are planted to vine, primarily arbor-trellised Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah on soils of the Pencahue series.
Latitude : 35°50’57.65” S
Soils : Derived from conglomerates, breccia, and tuff. Soils derived from volcanic ash. Granitic type soils. Most of the soils are loam to clay-loam. Those closest to the coast are granitic and less fertile. In general, they are soils with good characteristics that pair with the local climatic conditions and largely favor the cultivation of vines. The soils in the valley are silty and loam to clay-loam in texture; those in the higher areas are clay-loam and granitic.
Pocoa Norte.
Is located on the coast of the Maule Valley, specifically in the Pencahue zone at latitude 35°26’22.12” S. The 32-hectare property has 24 hectares planted to vine, primarily vertically positioned Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The vines are planted on soils of the Pencahue series.
Soils : Derived from conglomerates, breccia, and tuff. Soils derived from volcanic ash. Granitic type soils. Most of the soils are loam to clay-loam. Those closest to the coast are granitic and less fertile. In general, they are soils with good characteristics that pair with the local climatic conditions and largely favor the cultivation of vines.
— Soil Series : The soils in the valley are silty and loam to clay-loam in texture; those in the higher areas are clay-loam and granitic.
Climate : The climate is Mediterranean, temperate, with a 5–6 month dry season. The winters are cold and moderately rainy. Average annual precipitation is approximately 600 mm (23.6 in). One of the greatest climatic advantages of this coastal valley is that its average temperature is higher than that of the Central Maule Valley.