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20 exciting Chilean reds and a rosé from £9-19
We bring you 20 exciting Chilean reds and a rosé, all of which retail for £20 or under, following a comprehensive tasting of new releases from this Latin American nation.
Among the wines are a rosé and red made with Portuguese grape Touriga Nacional, a brilliant Cabernet Franc, a juicy Grenache, and a set of great value Pinots, Carmenères, Cabernets, Syrahs and Malbecs.
The wines that feature in this selection were taken from 30 leading producers in Chile. Wines of Chile asked them to submit no more than two wines for sampling. The wineries put forward commercially-available samples that they were most proud of, representing new and exciting bottles, along with the latest vintages of established labels. All the wines were assessed “blind”, and my thoughts on the high points following this sampling exercise can be read here.
Meanwhile, you can see my list of 16 exciting whites and sparkling wines from Chile by clicking here.
The sub £20 reds and a rosé are below.
CHÂTEAU LOS BOLDOS, SPECIALTY SERIES, DRY ROSÉ, 2020
Varieties: Touriga Nacional
Region: Cachapoal Andes
Closure: Screwcap
RRP: £15-20
Score: 87
It seems right that Touriga Nacional –a grape that performs brilliantly in the hot, schistose terroir of the Douro – should do well in Chile, with its metamorphic rocks and Mediterranean climate. In this case, the variety also shows its suitability for making rosé, with floral notes and strong flavours of crushed red berries, along with a firm, fresh, crisp apple-like finish.
CONO SUR, ORGANIC PINOT NOIR, 2020
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Region: Colchagua, San Antonio, Bio Bio
Closure: Screwcap
RRP: £9
Score: 90
Cono Sur seemed to have achieved the impossible: a pretty Pinot Noir that’s made with certified organic grapes and yet retails for under £10. It’s a light, fresh red with flavours ranging from cherry and tomato to hints of blackcurrant and dried herbs, along with cranberry and some firm tannins on the finish.
CALITERRA, TRIBUTO CARMENÈRE, 2018
Varieties: Carmenère
Region: Colchagua
Closure: Agglomerated cork
RRP: £10-15
Score: 90+
A juicy blackcurrant and cherry scented red with a peppery edge and a touch of chocolate shows the quality of Carmenère from Colchagua, and at a pleasingly affordable price.
LA RONCIERE, LICANTÉN IDAHUE ESTATE CABERNET FRANC, 2018
Varieties: 85% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Shiraz
Region: Licantén, Curicó
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £14
Score: 91+
Adding yet another string to Chile’s bow is this delicious, keenly priced Cabernet Franc from the coastal Curicó DO called Licantén. Featuring plenty of raspberry and dark cherry fruit, a touch of blackcurrant, white pepper, dried herbs and fresh cranberries, as well as some creamy vanilla from 10 months in French oak, it’s layered and complex, with a medium-weight mouthfeel and crunchy redcurrant freshness ensuring it’s wonderfully easy to drink.
LA RONCIERE, LICANTÉN IDAHUE ESTATE MALBEC, 2018
Varieties: 85% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc
Region: Licantén, Curicó
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £14
Score: 92
Another exciting addition to Chile’s diverse wine scene is this beautifully crafted Malbec from the Licantén DO, in coastal Curicó, with coolerclimate characters of olive and cracked pepper, along with plenty of crushed black and red berry fruit, a touch of dark chocolate, and plenty of dry tannins –a hallmark of the Malbec grape.
MONTES ALPHA CARMENÈRE, 2019
Varieties: 90% Carmenère, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Colchagua
Closure: Screwcap
RRP: £14
Score: 92
As one might expect, this is a classic and fine Carmenère from Montes under it’s wellknown Alpha label. The grape, grown in an area where it thrives – Colchagua – features all the variety’s hallmark characters, from fleshy red and dark berry fruit, to a touch of capsicum and peppercorn, along with notes of chocolate, and some mouth-coating dry tannins. This is nicely balanced, neither too rich, nor too light, and not too sweet, nor too dry, and with plenty of Carmenère’s spice.
VERAMONTE, RITUAL PINOT NOIR, 2018
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Region: Casablanca
Closure: Cork
RRP: £15
Score: 92+
In line with the reliably excellent wines from Veramonte is this Ritual Pinot Noir, which delivers the grape’s appealing traits of ripe strawberry fruit, a light mouth-feel, and a fresh finish, all for £15; plus, it’s organic. Adding complexity are further notes, from dried flowers and hay to vanilla, making for a layered and complete red wine with depth and elegance.
ARESTI, TRISQUEL SERIES MALBEC, 2019
Varieties: Malbec
Region: Curicó
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £17
Score: 93
Aresti don’t seem able to put a foot wrong with its Trisquel Series of wines, and this Malbec from Curicó is no exception. Loaded with fresh red berry fruit and ripe plums, there’s also a hint of violets, pepper and background creamy vanilla from the oak used to age the wine. While it’s generous in style, it’s not hot nor sweet, and the combination of pristine fruit, along with plenty of fine dry tannins, means this is a wine to make you salivate – and therefore ideal for marbled red meat.
KOYLE, CERRO BASALTO GARNATXA, 2019
Varieties: Garnacha
Region: Colchagua
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £17.50
Score: 90+
It’s often said by winemakers that Chile’s granitic and basaltic soils and Mediterranean climate would suit grapes such as Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and here, with this rare Chilean varietal Garnacha, is the proof. This – the second vintage of this wine from biodynamic Koyle – is a wonderful expression of this Spanish grape, with all its delicious red berry fruits, and fresh cranberry and orange zest finish. There’s white pepper, and a touch of vanilla too, along with plenty of tannin, making this is a lovely, pale, medium-weight red with a firm structure.
VIÑA TARAPACÁ, GRAN RESERVA ETIQUETA NEGRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2019
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Maipo
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £15-20
Score: 92+
Looking for a great example of Chilean Cab for everyday Bordeaux prices? Then you need look no further than this “black label” from Viña Tarapacá, which delivers all the impressive qualities of Maipo Cab for under £20. By that I mean intense blackcurrant fruit, with cherry and plums, plus spice, followed by barrel-sourced notes of vanilla and toast, and then plenty of fine tannin to make the mouth water. In all, a powerfully flavoured and layered red with a dry, bright finish.
ARBOLEDA, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2019
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon with small proportion of Cabernet Franc
Region: Aconcagua
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £17
Score: 93
Maipo may be king for Chilean Cab, but don’t overlook Aconcagua in the quest for delicious and good-value reds from Bordeaux grapes – after all, Seña, one of Chile’s most celebrated Bordeaux blends, hails from this part of Chile. But while Sena costs more than £100, this first-rate red from Arboleda retails for around £17, and uses grapes from the same estate – both brands are owned by Errázuriz. It has a lovely range of fruit flavours from intense cassis to softer raspberry notes, and blueberries along with creamy vanilla and a touch of spice. And while it’s ripe and juicy, it’s not heavy, with dry tannins to clean the palate. In short, this is yet another example of why Chile has become a global force for its Cabs.
KOYLE, CERRO BASALTO CUARTEL G2 CARMENÈRE, 2019
Varieties: 85% Carmenère, 15% Cabernet Franc
Region: Colchagua
Closure: Agglomerated cork
RRP: £18
Score: 94
A refreshing, beautifully crafted Carmenère from Koyle, which showcases the quality of this grape when farmed biodynamically in the cooler slopes of Colchagua. Just mediumweight, with some green peppercorn, it features plenty of red fruit, from raspberry to plum, along with some richer notes of blackcurrant, a hint of cedar, and then a long, bright, dry finish with grippy tannins and a touch of dried flowers. This is not a big, fleshy, oaky Carmenère, but a delicate, layered red with charm, and the potential to develop more complexity with time.
UNDURRAGA, T.H. SYRAH LEYDA, 2019
Varieties: Syrah
Region: Leyda
Closure: Natural Cork
RRP: £19
Score: 95
Today, some of Chile’s top reds are made with Syrah. And this sample from Undurraga under its reliably good and distinctive Terroir Hunter (TH) label is one such example. Intense and perfumed, it’s packed with blackcurrant and cherry fruit, a touch of cranberry, rose petals, black olive, cracked pepper and vanilla. Its texture is highly appealing too, with fresh acidity and dry tannin, but just enough to balance the dense, ripe fruit. This is a fine wine in a delicious youthful state, but it has more to give – so try cellaring some for five years. An exciting sign of Chile’s potential with Syrah.
MONTES, OUTER LIMITS SYRAH, 2020
Varieties: Syrah
Region: Zapallar, Aconcagua Costa
Closure: Screwcap
RRP: £19
Score: 93
This Syrah hails from the region of Zapallar in the coastal area of the Aconcagua Valley, a seaside resort where Montes was the first producer to plant vines. Heavily influenced by cooling breezes from the Pacific, and with granitic soils, it’s an ideal place for perfumed, intense and elegant Syrah; and hence, this youthful, pristine wine has plenty of black fruit, peppery spice and fresh plums. Then there’s some vanilla, too, from barrel ageing, and fine dry tannin. It’s not short on flavour, but has a lightness to its mouthfeel that makes it wonderfully easy to drink despite its dense fruit and deep colour.
VIÑA TARAPACÁ, GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2019
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Maipo
Closure: Cork
RRP: £15-20
Score: 93
Another excellent and affordable Maipo Cab from Viña Tarapacá, this Gran Reserva shows depth and restraint, combining ripe blackcurrant fruit with notes of plums and red berries, a touch of cigar box, and fine dry lingering tannins. In short, a serious wine for sub £20.
TERRANOBLE, GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2019
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Colchagua
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £18
Score: 92
Ripe red and dark berry fruit, cassis, cedar, fine mouth-coating tannins and some bright plummy notes on the finish, this is a great example of the sort of juicy, balanced Cabernet that Chile does so well.
ARBOLEDA, PINOT NOIR, 2020
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Region: Aconcagua Costa
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £15-20
Score: 90+
A light style of Pinot but with plenty of pure, ripe red berry fruit, and some tomato, toasty oak, and a bit of crunchy cranberry too, along with a dry, gently tannic finish.
LFE900, 2016
Varieties: Syrah dominant blend with Petite Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre
Region: Colchagua
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £15-20
Score: 95
My highest scoring sub-£20 wine of the tasting turned out to be a Syrah-dominant blend from a high-altitude vineyard with a bit of bottle age – although the 2016 vintage is still commercially available. Using fruit grown at around 900m above sea level – hence the name – there’s great concentration and freshness to this red, which has wonderfully ripe red and dark berry fruit, some of which is slightly stewed after a few years ageing in cask and bottle, but also a cherry stone-like dry fresh sensation from a mix of quite high acid and tannin. Then there’s vanilla and cigar box notes, and cracked black pepper, too. Together, it’s a juicy, layered, bright, and semi- mature drop that’s hard not to drink.
CHÂTEAU LOS BOLDOS, SPECIALTY SERIES, TOURIGA NACIONAL, 2019
Varieties: Touriga Nacional
Region: Cachapoal Andes
Closure: Natural cork
RRP: £19
Score: 93
It seems that Touriga Nacional can be successfully transplanted from its native nation of Portugal and, when present in the warm, granitic and volcanic terroir of Cachapoal Andes, it performs especially well. This is not a heavy, powerful red, but a charming and appealing one with tomato and cherry fruit, some dried herbs, violets and rose petals, and cranberry-like freshness with some dry grippy tannins and a touch of sweet vanilla oak.
MONTGRAS, HANDCRAFTED RARE PINOT NOIR, 2020
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Region: Leyda
Closure: Agglomerated cork
RRP: £19
Score: 90+
A core of crushed strawberry fruit in this juicy Pinot is complemented by notes of creamy vanilla, and given complexity by notes of dried grass with a touch of apple and orange zest to refresh. On the finish there’s plenty of fine mouth-coating tannin to dry the palate.
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