INTRODUCTION
Investment to improve quality at LFE has been a major objective over
the last five years.
So much so that several major projects have commenced in both the Colchagua Valley but also in the nearby Leyda Valley; the end goal is to elevate the quality of the LFE wines.
Hilltop Projects
The Hilltop project is a bold attempt by the production and viticultural team at Luis Felipe Edwards to transform the steep valley sides of our Puquillay estate to an oasis of fruit producing vines of high quality.
The vineyards were planted in 2005 with altitudes ranging from 500m to 800m above sea level. The topography of the land meant that significant investment was needed in the selection of vine variety for the sites on the valley terraces and hilltops. There were significant challenges and subsequent investment to overcome the need to pump water up from 200m to 800m. This meant our engineers had to lay 3,500 metres of water piping through 8 pumping stations, and 25 km of irrigation piping.
Three quarters of the land surface, 67 Hectares, was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere & Shiraz. Our vines planted between 750 and 880 metres above sea level are the highest commercial plantings in the Colchagua Valley.
The high altitude sites have been named "Llano Las Yeguas" and "El Paso Las Mulas".
Llano Las Yeguas 'Plain of the Mares' is so called as it was once used by wild mares as a safe place to give birth to their foals. The elevation is ideal for Shiraz as there is a 2.5º C decrease in temperature from the second floor of the vineyard to the high hilltop sites. As a general rule in the region there is a decrease of about 0.6º C every 100 metres. The patch of land called El Paso Las Mulas (the mules pass) is the highest vineyard at our 800m.
The variety and differences in plots and exposures is a major benefit to LFE. Wines of greater complexity and quality are produced from careful blending.
Hilltop Planting ratios
- Cabernet Sauvignon: 36%
- Syrah: 27%
- Carmenere: 14%
- Merlot: 5.5%
- Malbec: 5.5%
- Petit Syrah: 4%
- Mourvedre: 4%
- Petit Verdot: 2%
- Viognier: 1%
- Grenache: 1%
So much so that several major projects have commenced in both the Colchagua Valley but also in the nearby Leyda Valley; the end goal is to elevate the quality of the LFE wines.
Hilltop Projects
The Hilltop project is a bold attempt by the production and viticultural team at Luis Felipe Edwards to transform the steep valley sides of our Puquillay estate to an oasis of fruit producing vines of high quality.
The vineyards were planted in 2005 with altitudes ranging from 500m to 800m above sea level. The topography of the land meant that significant investment was needed in the selection of vine variety for the sites on the valley terraces and hilltops. There were significant challenges and subsequent investment to overcome the need to pump water up from 200m to 800m. This meant our engineers had to lay 3,500 metres of water piping through 8 pumping stations, and 25 km of irrigation piping.
Three quarters of the land surface, 67 Hectares, was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere & Shiraz. Our vines planted between 750 and 880 metres above sea level are the highest commercial plantings in the Colchagua Valley.
The high altitude sites have been named "Llano Las Yeguas" and "El Paso Las Mulas".
Llano Las Yeguas 'Plain of the Mares' is so called as it was once used by wild mares as a safe place to give birth to their foals. The elevation is ideal for Shiraz as there is a 2.5º C decrease in temperature from the second floor of the vineyard to the high hilltop sites. As a general rule in the region there is a decrease of about 0.6º C every 100 metres. The patch of land called El Paso Las Mulas (the mules pass) is the highest vineyard at our 800m.
The variety and differences in plots and exposures is a major benefit to LFE. Wines of greater complexity and quality are produced from careful blending.
Hilltop Planting ratios
- Cabernet Sauvignon: 36%
- Syrah: 27%
- Carmenere: 14%
- Merlot: 5.5%
- Malbec: 5.5%
- Petit Syrah: 4%
- Mourvedre: 4%
- Petit Verdot: 2%
- Viognier: 1%
- Grenache: 1%
The LFE vineyards in Puquillay previously had 2 floors.
One in the flat lands (at around 250 metres above sea level) and the second floor, planted on terraces up to 400 metres.
The plantings for subsequent floors and now the new project have surpassed the 3rd and 4th floors up to the 5th floor, which reaches 800 metres.