Deep ruby red in colour, this is an elegant wine with plum and clove aromas on the nose. Dense and mouth filling on the palate, with plum, blackcurrant and mocha notes complemented by ripe tannins.

Kaikenes are wild geese, native to Patagonia, that fly across the Andes between Chile and Argentina. In the same way, legendary Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes crossed the Andes to make wines in Mendoza. Aurelio saw the enormous potential of the region for premium viticulture and, after several exploratory trips, founded the Kaiken winery in 2002. His aim was simple: to make great wines in Mendoza and, in doing so, to show the best of both sides of the Andes.

The estate vineyards are situated in the heart of Mendoza and further south in the Uco Valley, where many premium producers are now sourcing their fruit. The focus is primarily on Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety that was almost forgotten in the region as Malbec’s popularity continued to soar over the past decade. As a result of Kaiken’s protection, there are now several old vine Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Mendoza that produce excellent wines, including Kaiken’s vineyard in the Vistalba district of Luján de Cuyo, first planted in 1910.

The 2018 vintage was a hot and dry year. There was a large temperature difference during the summer of up to 20ºC between day and night, which delivered perfect ripening. Yields have returned to normal after a few years of reduced crop and the wines produced have higher alcohol levels and rounded tannins.

All of the fruit used for the Cabernet Sauvignon Ultra was sourced from the Vistalba vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo, which has been farmed biodynamically since 2011. This fine 80-year-old vineyard gives wines of outstanding elegance, structure, and power. The vines are grown 1,050 metres above sea level and 800 metres away from the Mendoza River. Half a metre of alluvial soil on top of gravel from the river yields concentrated high-quality fruit.

The fruit was hand picked and then sorted manually in the winery. The must was cold-soaked for seven days at 10ºC before fermentation in concrete tanks at controlled temperatures of 26ºC. Fermentation took seven days with post-fermentation maceration lasting another three weeks. The wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation in tank before being transferred to French oak barrels (one third of which were new) for 12 months. It was then aged for a further six months in bottle prior to release.