Winemaker Notes
The mouth displays vibrant but soft tannins, a smooth texture, and a long, elegant finish. Another sip reveals hints of berry, balsamic and tobacco. This wine will continue to age well over the next 15-20 years, but drinks beautifully today.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
In a fresh vintage such as 2011, the herbal, minty notes and red-fruit character of the site are accentuated, the wine filled with vivid aromas that blend with earthy notes. In terms of texture, this cabernet imposes its finesse with the fine point of delicate tannins. The wine's vibrant acidity, bound into the tannins, was fashioned by the cool vintage and the cold breezes coming down from the Andes at the Quebrada de Macul. A classic Chilean cabernet, this captures and preserves the best aspects of Andean reds.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even the 2011 Domus Aurea had been in bottle for a while, as it was bottled in March 2013, a little later than previous vintages. The process was similar to previous years, with a little longer élevage in cask, up to 18 months. The wine is really young, and the menthol, which is a constant in Domus Aurea and a character that shows when young, shows here in quite a subtle way. The wines then close up and this menthol disappears and resurfaces with time in bottle. Right now the nose is beautiful, quite primary with meaty fruit, very good ripeness and balsamic aromas; it is showy, attractive and open. The palate shows great balance and harmony, with sophisticated tannins, good freshness and acidity. You might have difficulty deciding between this 2011 and the 2010, as both are great vintages, but today I give the edge to the 2010. It will be interesting to follow their evolution. 2011 was also a lower-yielding year, and it produced 22,813 bottles.
-
Wine Spectator
This pure and polished version offers a minty aroma, with fresh and intensely spiced flavors of dark cherry, dried berry and plum tart. Minerally midpalate, showing some beefy accents. Medium-grained tannins emerge on the finish. Drink now through 2020. 1,900 cases made.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.