Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of cassis and ripe blackberries with notes of chocolate, nutmeg, spices and bark. Medium-bodied with juicy character and sleek, polished texture. Tannins are fine and chalky. Flavorful finish.
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Wine Spectator
Opens with a toasty vanilla bean and spiced pastry note that clings to the rich wild berry and plum core, which is kept honest by a streak of mineral acidity. Comes together nicely in the end, with a lingering note of chocolate. This is a touch flamboyant, but will have its fans. Drink now through 2028.
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.