Chile has gained an excellent and well deserved reputation for fine wine over the past few decades, as more people around the world come to appreciate the quality and value that this country’s wine industry offers. There are many different wine grapes grown here, and major international varietals play a leading role. 
Carmenere, once thought to be a poor quality Merlot clone, is actually a fine varietal and reaches impressive heights here. Additional familiar grapes include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Perhaps the varietal which has thrived beyond all others though is Cabernet Sauvignon. Chile makes world class Cabernet Sauvignon, and we have reviewed many in the past. Don Melchor, the iconic Cabernet Sauvignon from Concha y Toro, is a perpetual high 90 point score wine and a fixture on Wines of the Year lists. You can read our review of the last vintage here.
Due to its geography, Chile possesses a remarkably isolated climate which allows it to continue to be free of phylloxera. The phylloxera root louse is a vineyard scourge, and attacks the roots of traditional vitis vinifera vines. However it does not do so to American indigenous vine roots. This vine pest devastated vineyards around the world in the second half of the 1800s, but it did not make it to Chile. While the rest of the world switched
to grafting European vines onto American varietal rootstock to survive, Chile has no problems. The reason is the set of natural barriers which exist on all sides of the country. Long and narrow, Chile sits between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, which isolate the country to the west and east. To the north is the Atacama desert. To the south are the ice fields of Tierra del Fuego. There is simply no easy way in. Thus the vines imported to Chile live in blissful ignorance of the rest of the world’s vines and their problems.
Within Chile there exists a hierarchy of designations that provides an identification of place and quality. This is similar in nature to all major wine producing countries. In Chile, there are primary Regions, Sub-regions and Zones, nested within each other. Major regions include Aconcagua and the Central Valley, among others. Within these are sub-regions most wine lovers would recognize, such as the Casablanca Valley, Maipo and the Maule Valley. Within the Sub-regions some zones include Colchagua Valley and Leyda Valley. These are the official designations within the Chilean system, or the Denominación de Origen (DO). The lower nested zones provide the most local of designations within the system, as opposed to the broader regions. For example, wine from the Colchagua Valley would officially be from the Central Valley Region, Rapel Valley Sub-Region and the Colchagua Valley Zone. Typically at least 75-85% of the wine must come from the indicated area for it to be on the label.
This is all pretty standard, however in 2012 Chile recognized three new regional denominations. These can be confusing, as they are not part of the official DO system, but rather intended to provide additional information about the specific area of influence associated with a wine. These three denominations run north to south and cut across the rest of Chile’s official regions. To the west, close to the shore and the coastal hills, is the Costa area. To the east, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, is the Andes area. In between, in the lower section of the Central Valley, is the Entre Cordilleras, which translates to “between the ranges”. Some of the official regions may have vineyards in multiple of these new areas, and many do.
The newer area designations do not have to be included on a wine’s label. It is voluntary. Are there distinct differences between them? That is something to explore. And we will start that exploration through the wines contained in this article.
The Central Valley:
The Central Valley is the heart of Chilean wine. This area is comprised of several officially designated wine sub-regions, as well as vineyards included in these new, broader, unofficial wine regions. The official regions of the Central Valley are shown in the map below. Also shown are the three newer areas, Costa in blue, Entre Cordilleras in green, and Andes in orange. You can clearly see the north to south orientation of the new areas as they cut across the official DOs.
Central Valley Region
We’re going to review, compare and contrast Cabernet Sauvignon wines from two of the major areas for this varietal in Chile, the Maipo and Colchagua Valleys. Both are located in the Central Valley region. Maipo includes both the Andes and Entre Cordilleras areas, while Colchagua includes both the Costa and Entre Cordilleras.
In what will be a familiar refrain as we go through these reviews, the wines were somewhat closed on opening and really benefited from some air time. We let all of the wines sit, pumped in the bottle, until the next day. It made a very noticeable difference in all of them, and the review notes you read below describe them on the second day. These all will improve with some decanter time, and additional time in bottle. On the second day they were all delicious.
The reviews:
The Maipo Valley is the heart of Chile’s winemaking history and culture. It’s vinicultural history goes back to the 16th century and the Spanish conquistadors, who planted vines when they arrived. The area still contains many older vineyards. French varietals were brought back to the country by Chilean travelers in the mid 1800s, and they were soon followed by French winemakers. Bordeaux varietals and blends are well represented here. Containing almost 10% of the country’s 300,00 acres of vineyards, the Maipo Valley is home base for many of the most well known and acclaimed of Chile’s wineries, and iconic wines. The area’s specialty is Cabernet Sauvignon. We have three wines from this area to review. Here they are:
2016 Echeverria Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon – this is a blend of 85% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 10% Syrah and 5% Carmenere. Hand picked, the clusters went through careful selection before pressing. The individual grape juice was fermented in stainless steel vats and underwent 100% malolactic fermentation prior to racking into French oak barriques for 12 months. At that point the wine was blended and went back into barrel for an additional 6 months. Alcohol is 14%. This juice comes from the Entree Cordilleras. Our thoughts:
The wine is medium dark red in color, and has a nose of berry jam, watermelon, balsamic vinegar and a tiny touch of funk. It’s medium+ in body, with brisk acid followed by building tannins. Despite that it has an elegant flavor profile, although the wine carried a distinct edge and stays fresh through the long finish. You do lose a little of the fruit in the mid-palate. This is a good wine, but probably our least favorite of the group. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and SRP is $25. Appropriately priced.
2017 Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon – this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit comes from old
vines, and is hand harvested and sorted. Also fermented in stainless steel, the juice underwent a four day cold soak. Aging was done in 30% new, French oak barrels for 16 months. The wine went through a light fining process to remove sediment, but was not filtered prior to bottling. The wine is from the Maipo Andes area. What did we think?
This is from high vineyards with with a large daily temperature swing. That allows for gradual ripening while maintaining acid. The first day this was plum and herbs with savory, meaty tones. On day two it brightened, and presented more berry fruit on the nose with some mint. There was also some cherry. This is a medium+ bodied wine, with elegant berry fruit and some spice on the palate. It’s smooth and really world class. This was my favorite of the bunch. SRP of $45 and it drinks every penny of that. Excellent and recommended. Definitely decant for an hour or two.
2018 Cordillera de los Andes Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Especial (Miguel Torres) – another 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
wine, this was macerated for 14 days and fermented in stainless. The juice went into French oak and 100% malolactic fermentation, then was aged for 12 months. The aging was in 20% new oak and 80% second use. Alcohol checks in at 14%. This is from the Maipo Andes area. Our impressions:
A medium ruby toward purple in color, this sports a nose of balsamic, berries, cherry and a touch of burnt match. It’s full bodied, with well integrated tannins and good acid resulting in a perfectly balanced wine. Quite complex, it’s also very long. All around this is an excellent sipper. SRP of $20. Well worth it.
Looking at the wines from Maipo above in general, there is an underlying elegance to the fruit. We would describe them as more European in style. Not opulent, the fruit is pure and the wines maintain great balance.
Now let’s travel a little south to the Rapel Valley, and within it the Colchagua Valley, and three more wines from Chile’s Cabernet Sauvignon bread basket. Colchagua is furthest south in the Rapel Valley, and is known for full bodied and premium wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is again the star, but Merlot and Carmenere also play important roles in the region. All of the wines from Colchagua below are also from the Entre Cordilleras.
2018 Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva – Los Vascos was started in 1988,
and is a venture by the indomitable Lafite Rothschild of Bordeaux. This particular wine is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah and 5% Carmenere. The Lafite team treats this wine with the same care they would show their Bordeaux First Growth. The juice is fermented in stainless, and after malolactic fermentation is completed, 50% of the wine goes into French oak for 12 months. What did we find in the bottle?
A medium ruby in color, this wine benefited from some time after opening. On the second day it showed red and black berries, some cherry, macerated strawberry, herbs and floral notes on the nose. It is just full bodied, with good acidity and freshness. The fruit core maintains throughout the long finish. This is excellent. SRP is $22 and it is a great value there. Decant for an hour, or two.
2018 Maquis Gran Reserva Cabernet – this is another blend, with 90% Cabernet Sauvignon,
6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carmenere and 1% Petit Verdot. All of the grapes come from a single vineyard in a low lying area of Colchagua in the heart of the valley. Everything is hand picked and sorted. Total maceration time is 21 days, and the wine is aged for 12 months in French oak. The result?
The wine is a medium dark ruby in color. With some time it opens and integrates, and flashes a nose of red berries and plum, as well as some bacon and oak. It is full bodied, with a good core of fruit. Tannins are medium to mild, and the wine is smooth, balanced and quite long. It’s very good, and a good value at $20. Like most of these younger wines, we suggest you decant for an hour.
2018 TerraNoble Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – here we have a 100% Cabernet
Sauvignon wine, but from two vineyards with quite different soils and micro-climates. 70% come from Los Lingues in the north of the valley, with clay soil. The other 30% are from Marchigue, and sandy loam soils. You get influences from both the mountains and the coast. After initial fermentation it went directly into French oak barrels and untoasted foudre, where it completed malolactic fermentation and aged for 12 months. A minimum of six months of additional bottle aging is completed before release. Our thoughts?
Medium ruby in color, the nose on day two shows more complexity, with berries, cherry, prune and herbal notes. There’s some mint here as well as a touch of menthol. On the palate you get the berries and some savory notes. This is smooth and full bodied, with soft tannins and good balance. It finishes long and is a great sipping wine. SRP is $20 and this is another excellent value.
We’ve known about Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon for some time, and how excellent it can be. The examples above highlight two of the premier areas in Chile for this varietal, showcasing the venerable vineyards of Maipo and the newer generation in Colchagua. The wines from Maipo on the whole come across as smoother, rich and elegant wines. They are more European in style. Those from Colchagua maintain more of an edge, with bold fruit and excellent acid. They are more new world in style. All of these are well balanced and delicious. In most cases they improve markedly with some air time, and a decanter is your friend when opening the younger bottles.
As for the differences between the three new, unofficial areas, those will have to wait for any conclusive opinion. We just don’t have enough of a sample yet, but these designations are something we will keep track of, and evaluate, as more wines from Chile come across our corkscrew in the years to come.
If you love Cabernet, and you have not delved into the Chilean wines, then you are doing yourself a disservice. These are all worth your attention.
A votre santé!
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