Viña VIK Stonevik 2023
A full-bodied blend imbued with tightly layered tannins giving a velvety texture and notes of blackberry, earthy notes, mushroom, graphite and herbal hints of sage. Delicious and long with chocolatey tones on the everlasting finish.
Stonevik is the ultimate natural wine created in nature by nature, from pure Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère grapes grown on the VIK estate and harvested by hand at night. It is faithful to the viticultural philosophy that characterises VIK wines: minimal intervention and zero applications in the vineyard. Centuries of ancestral wisdom combine with the gentle warmth of the sun to naturally shape an exceptional wine. The blend for Stonevik come from vines planted in the Pan de Azucar, Cerro al Medio and Boqueron plots where the vines are sustainably cultivated.
VIK created a space at the heart of the native forest surrounding the vineyard, where the fermentation took place using the barroir technique. The ‘barroir’ concept was born out of barrels made out of new imported French oak being toasted with wood from fallen oaks on the vineyard, enabling VIK to make and toast personalised barrels in their own coopery. The wine was aged in seven amphorae (three to allude to the universe and four to planet Earth). Five of them contained Cabernet Franc, one Cabernet Sauvignon and one Carménère. The amphorae were arranged to emulate an ancient sundial, allowing the wine to unfurl its full potential in alignment with the stellar rhythms and telluric energies of the earth’s electromagnetic fields. The oval shape of the amphorae has been designed to adjust for the movement of the Earth, and the thermal range and atmospheric pressure, stimulating the wine into a continuous circular motion to achieve maximum expression. Being harmoniously positioned to create a Mandala, the light and shadow of day and night passed through the amphorae, in accordance with the cycles of each season, harnessing their energy. The amphorae were made by local craftspeople using techniques inherited from the generations who passed on their trade. Produced from clay extracted directly from the terroir at a depth of more than six metres, along with kaolinite, the micro-oxygenation imbues mineral notes, aromas and flavours of Millahue.
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14.5% |
| Awards | 98 Pts, James Suckling, 2024 |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Valle de Cachapoal |
| Subregion | Millahue |
| Grapes | Cabernet Franc 77%, Cabernet Sauvignon 19%, Carmenère 4% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 3.8 |
| Body | D |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Viña VIK was established by Alex and Carrie Vik in 2004, who had a vision to create world-class vineyards, producing exceptional wines. After two years of scientific research, they acquired 4,400 hectares in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Millahue, in the Cachapoal Valley. The name Millahue, translating to "Place of Gold" in Chile's indigenous language, aptly captures the essence of their chosen location. With a dedicated team of winemakers, climatologists, geologists, vine growers, and agronomists, they meticulously developed an exceptional terroir and planted 327 hectares of carefully selected varieties. Winemaker Cristian Vallejo follows a minimal intervention approach, with hand-harvesting and natural fermentations to ensure each wine showcases this outstanding terroir and his wines are elegant, voluptuous, complex and balanced. Viña VIK is ranked second among the World’s Best 10 Vineyards.
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