01. Our Winery // Winemaking
HARVEST
CARE FROM
ITS ORIGIN
We do Manual harvest in 20 kg boxes to avoid grape breakage and the ensuing fermentation process. The harvest time of each grape is defined by grape tasting, done by Federico and his vineyard team. Upon its arrival to the winery, the boxes are chilled down in cold chambers depending on the time of its arrival and crushing. Clusters and grapes are sorted in double sorting tables and the grapes are tasted again for its maturity and astringency.
Benegas Variety. The National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) named a variety that has never been classified as “Gobernador Benegas” in honor of Don Tiburcio. Bodega Benegas was able to get cuttings from the INTA’s only 3 plants that are now being developed in a nursery till they have 5,000 plants, the number needed to plant a hectare. In a few years from now, they count on introducing the Benegas wine, produced with the Gobernador Benegas variety.
WINEMAKING
CREATION OF WINES
WITH HISTORY
Bodega Benegas’ wines have six main attributes: intense fruit flavors and aromas, with a supple body, ripe tannins, balanced acidity, a long lingering and, the fruit is never overpowered by the oak treatments. All the grapes we use to make our wines, are sourced from our own vineyards Finca Libertad and Finca La Encerrada. In this way we ensure to keep our style and quality, while expressing the terroir of our estates.
In our winery we use the old concrete pools, epoxy painted and with temperature control technology added, in order to produce wines with terroir and variety expression.
FERMENTATION
TIME, A KEY
RESOURCE
After the two selection tables, the grapes are sent directly to the concrete pools, where the fermentation and maceration processes will begin. After the maceration and to begin the alcoholic fermentation, the temperature is raised to an average of 24 ° C / 75 ° F with natural yeasts. As the fermentation progresses, Federico and his team taste each pool to decide the level of extraction of the skins, and then decisions are made on the number of pump-overs, delestage and other decisions that must be adopted to achieve a high quality wine.
Winemaking Evolution. During Bodega Benegas’ first 10 years, Federico Benegas Lynch hired the consulting services of Michel Rolland and the wines had a distinctly French style. Later on Paul Hobbs, a renowned Napa winemaker assisted for 2 years and since 2012, Federico harvested at earlier times to increase the natural acidity of his wines and reduced the oak aging process to enhance the fruit aromas and flavors, always preserving the Benegas style.
MACERATION
ENHANCE THE
EXCELLENCE
In the first place after the two selection tables, we carry out a cold maceration in order to enhance the primary aromas of the vine, it last 5 to 7 days, tasting the wine every day to define the length of the maceration process. During the post-fermentative maceration, the juice is also tasted every day.
During the post-fermentative maceration, the juice is tasted every day.