Winemaker Notes
Viola is produced from the fruit of the very best vineyards on the Maquis estate. The tiniest grapes from these vineyards are concentrated and yield silky tannins with the greatest depth and complexity.
The skills of their viticulturist, Xavier Choné, and their blenders, Jacques and Eric Boissenot, are clearly apparent in this balanced and elegant blend. The spices, black fruit and smooth texture of the Carménère, the principal component of the blend, are complemented by the extraordinary finesse and length on the palate by the Cabernet Franc.
Blend: 85% Carménère, 15% Cabernet Franc.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Viola showcases the spice-laden side of Carménère with great precision, opening with dried cayenne pepper, sandalwood and balsamic aromas with a dark-fruited undercurrent. The palate combines a broad, horizontal richness with a taut, focused core that persists through the expansive and elegant finish. This is in a beautiful place but should have no problem evolving for another decade. It's 88% Carménère and 12% Cabernet Franc.
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Tasting Panel
This variety is at its best here, setting forth a generous, energetic flow of white pepper, Italian herbs, and jammy blackberry notes doused with chocolate and licorice. With some Cab Franc blended in, it is a seasoned showpiece—big, rich, and built with earth and iron.
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James Suckling
Although this is quite mature on the nose with redcurrant-jelly, blackcurrant-pastille and dried-herb aromas, there’s a nice tannin structure with a long, crisp and fresh finish.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.