Winemaker Notes
Intense, dark ruby red color. Exquisite aroma offering classic notes of dark berry jam and hints of leather. A wonderfully elegant palate, revealing soft tannins and lingering layers of fruit and spices that carry through to the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Manso de Velasco comes from an old Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard planted in approximately 1900, ungrafted from a massal selection in the commune of Molina in Curicó that has survived though changes and different eras. 2014 was a low-yielding year as a result of spring frost coupled with the lack of rain and high temperatures later on. Despite all that, the wine is only 13.5% alcohol and has retained good freshness. It has marked varietal character with intense balsamic and minty aromas, keeping its poise and avoiding excess maturity. The palate is well built, with intensity and clout from naturally low yields. It's classical and polished, with an elegant and soft palate. They think of this as a wine to lay down and drink with years. To demonstrate that, they uncorked a 1987 that was still alive and kicking, with intense aromas of paprika (merken) and rusty nails, a polished palate and fully resolved tannins. The style nowadays seems to be juicier and sleeker, with a little more ripeness and a creamier texture but should age for a while.
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.
Bordering the Coastal Range in the west, and stretching as far east as the foothills of the Andes, the Curicó Valley has two major mesoclimates that allow it the potential to offer a great diversity of high quality wines. In the east around Molina and north of the Claro River, the chilling winds coming off of the Andes make this part of the valley cooler. In the west, the Coastal Range protects inland wine growing areas from the Pacific Ocean, making it hotter and drier. The valley can support a large range of grape varieties within these climatic variations.
In 1979 Miguel Torres, Spain’s largest family-owned producer of premium wine based in Penedès in northeastern Spain, invested heavily in the area. By introducing many modern technologies, Torres put the Curicó Valley on the international wine map and strengthened Chile's presence in the global wine market.
Curicó is one of the southern appellations of the greater Central Valley wine growing region, which includes from north to south: Maipo, Rapel, Curicó and Maule.