Tandem Ars In Vitro Tempranillo Merlot 2017
Cherry red in colour, this mountain wine displays a powerful expression of the terroir. Mineral with intense violet aromas that are underpinned by notes of cherries and strawberries. On the palate, it is a fresh wine with a long and persistent finish.
Tandem's vineyard philosophy is based around sustainable farming and using minimal intervention, while maintaining the vineyard’s health and viability. The natural conditions of the valley ensure that pesticide treatments can be kept to a minimum and take the form of sulphur and copper, avoiding products made from synthetic chemicals. The vines are dry-farmed and undergo a green harvest, in order to obtain lower yields and a key factor in achieving a greater concentration in the berries. The vines are trained using the Guyot method and are grown in clay loam soils. Harvesting is carried out at the moment of optimal ripeness and takes place during the coolest hours of the day, so the grapes retain their freshness.
The grapes were cold macerated prior to fermentation. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 25°C, with gentle cap immersion or pigeage, and lasted 10 days. The wine was racked by gravity to the concrete vats on the lower floor of the winery, where the wine went through malolactic fermentation. Clarification occurred naturally through decantation. The wine was aged for a minimum of 24 months in concrete vats, without spending any time in oak. Bottling took place by gravity with minimal filtration.