Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I tasted two vintages of their top Cabernet Sauvignon, starting with the 2014 Pircas de Liguai Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from 12 hectares of very consistent vines that deliver a classical style of Maipo Cabernet on stony soils. 2014 was even cooler than 2013 in this zone. The wine fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in new and second use 225-liter French oak barrels for 16 months. It's a classical Maipo Cabernet from a cool year, with contained ripeness and peppery and balsamic aromas. The palate is medium-bodied, with the elegant tannins of the variety and an herbal finish. Drinkable and with potential for bottle aging.
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Vinous
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Pircas, sourced from the Pérez Cruz vineyard in Huelquén, Maipo Alto, presents a garnet hue in the glass. It offers nuanced notes of aniseed and herbs over a core of cassis, bay leaf and balsamic, all set against an oaky backdrop. On the palate, it's dry, rich and plush, with fine-grained tannins supporting a savory mouthfeel. The cold vintage contributes to its delicate character
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.