about Romeral Estate

ROMERAL ESTATE
Maipo Valley
1. Our Vineyard
The Romeral estate is located in the Maipo Valley, specifically in a zone that corresponds to
Maipo Alto. This area has the best conditions in the valley for obtaining grapes of exceptional
quality. The property totals 50 hectares, which were all planted between 2004 and 2005 using
the high-density approach, from 6,944 to 10,101 plants/hectare.
2. Physical Characteristics of the Property
Temperature / Typically, it has a cold winter with an average maximum of 13.4ºC and a
minimum of 4ºC. During the summer the thermal range is very wide, with the average minimum
reaching 12ºC and the maximum, 28.5ºC. A wind often blows in the evenings from the basin
of the River Maipo, producing a cooler thermal sensation which is a great advantage for the
health of the vineyards.
Water / The supply of water corresponds to irrigation canals fed by the River Maipo. These
typically carry a large quantity of sand. The estate has a reservoir for collecting water which makes
it possible to decant the particles.The water is then filtered and pumped at each irrigation.
Soils / The estate has two soil series: the Cerro Romeral series, which corresponds to a soil
that is colluvial/alluvial in origin, found in the sectors closest to the hill, and the Maipo series,
corresponding to an alluvial soil in the flat sectors closest to the river. In general these are soils
with medium-to-high depth, average fertility and loose texture, with a variable presence of stones
in the profile. This shows that, many years ago, the sectors that have been planted formed part of
the bed of the River Maipo. The lowest part of the estate is on the river bank itself, so the soil is
poor, with a high proportion of stones and excellent drainage.
3. Study for the Design of the Plantation
Various studies were carried out in order to obtain the best possible information for designing the plantation. Among these, it is important to draw attention
to the following:
Satellite Image / This was used to visualise the surroundings of the estate, the topography, vegetation and nearby water sources.
Aerial Photograph / This shows the spatial location of the estate, making it possible to determine the plant cover, the geological forms, the drainage
network and points of reference such as roads, constructions, etc.
Topographic Map / This made it possible to find out the different heights of the country on the basis of the contour lines. Using this, the determining factors
of the climate in the vineyard were defined and zones that were at risk from frost were marked.
Sun Exposure Map / By using this map it was possible to find out the zones of sunlight and shade, a very important factor when deciding which variety to
establish within the estate, and also to find out the temperature differences that may be encountered.
4. Characteristics of the Plantation
Distribution of Varieties by solar exposition
Flat sector / Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
and Petit Verdot.
Training
Vertical shut position, the production system most widely used for
producing quality grapes
Distribution of Varieties by number of Hectares (130 ha)
Cabernet Sauvignon 24 ha
Carmenère 18 ha
Cabernet Franc 3,5 ha
Merlot 3 ha
Petit Verdot 1,5 ha
5. High-density Planting
This approach maintains that there is a close relationship between the density of planting and the quality of the grape. That is the reason why we have focused
on developing high-density plantations that are unique in Chile, in order to produce wines of exceptional quality in each of the segments. This means having
a planting framework of 1.8 metres between rows x 0.8 metres over the row and 1.5 metres between rows x 0.66 metres over the row, respectively.
High density makes it possible to explore greater volumes of soil, make better use of the available humidity and have a larger number of elements to
capture radiant energy.
6. Micro-terroirs
After analysing the different studies, it was scientifically concluded that
there are 7 different micro-terroirs. These were given names representing
each sector of the property: Andes, Andes Sur, Viento Costa, Viento
Sur, Vista Sur, Vista Maipo and Vista Sol. This allows us to work each of
them independently according to the variety that has been planted and its
potential, obtaining different types of wines with specific characteristics,
their own identity and quality that is consistent over time.
7. Technology and Agricultural Practices
Irrigation / The irrigation system is by drip-feed. It was designed with a drip of 2.8 litres per hour, which results in
precipitation of 2.8 mm in those blocks with 10,101 plants/hectare and 1.9 mm in those blocks with 6,944 plants/
hectare.
Pruning / The type of pruning currently employed is the Guyot type. This may be simple, double or triple, depending
on the development of the plants in each sector. The pruning is always aimed at obtaining low yields per plant in order
to achieve high-quality grapes.