Winemaker Notes
The wine is deep, intense dark ruby purple in the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberries, mineral and balsamic notes. It has herbs with subtle tones of spicy oak and in the mouth it is dense and concentrated but balanced by a fresh spice, tobacco and berry flavors and refined tannins followed by a nice long finish.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Domus Aurea is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot that shows the textbook minty and stony character from the place. It fermented in a very traditional way with indigenous yeasts and matured in French barriques, mostly new, for 16 to 18 months. The wine is ripe and powerful, to the point that the oak seems to be absorbed almost immediately. This feels a bit riper when tasted next to the 2018. It's expressive and open with a more extrovert personality. It's full-bodied, juicy and powerful and with very tasty and spicy flavors.
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.