Winemaker Notes
With a terrific color of red dried sour cherries, the wine readily unfolds its elegance on the nose, releasing ripe, red-berry aromas of raspberry and strawberry, in addition to plum and ripe grapes. The notes derived from ageing in barrels, such as nutmeg, toasted nuts, tobacco, and a subtle tone of liqueur wine, are well integrated with the fruitiness. On the palate, the flavors gain in intensity. It reveals superb balance, with tannins of outstanding smoothness, ample body, and magnificent length.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Deep nose, but really fresh at the same time. Currants, blackberries and chili-pepper chocolate with cedary and meaty undertones. This is really juicy, with a tight, tensely framed palate, underscored by lots of creamy, dusty tannins. A lengthy, refined and elegant expression of cabernet sauvignon, but a strong statement from Colchagua.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant, showcasing up-front plumeria and fresh tarragon notes that complement the juicy, creamy textured raspberry and plum core. Shows subtle flint details and fans out around fresh acidity, ending with refined tannins and a swell of spiced chocolate and cordial. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Alpha M offers a red-fruited and spice-driven nose accented with dried tobacco and a touch of toasted wood. It reflects the warmer harvest on the palate, with an assertive but balanced texture that transitions to a structured, drying and slightly introverted finish. Readers looking to enjoy this in the near future would do well to let it open up for a good hour or so before consuming.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a bold and wellcrafted wine from Apalta, the same place that gave birth to the famous Montes Purple Angel. It includes 80% of Cabernet Sauvignon and small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The nose is inviting, offering blueberry, blackberry and vanilla bean. Dusty tannins and good acidity hold a flavorful and herbaceous palate, delivering thyme and berries wrapped in chocolate and cinnamon. It has a lasting finish with hints of herbs.
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.