Winemaker Notes
Writing in February 2009 just after bottling the wine, Francisco Baettig described the 2007 Viñedo Chadwick as "a great, dense mouth-filling wine that promises to age very well." However, it had not been an easy growing season, by any means. The winter had been exceptionally dry and vineyard fertility was low. Spring rain in late October affected flowering and led to small-size clusters and berries, predicting low yields. In summer, hot weather during the first two weeks of March, saw temperatures of 32.5°C (90.5°F) in Maipo, suggesting an early harvest. But then a sharp drop in temperatures later that month was followed by a cool April. In the end, the low yields and long ripening period provided Cabernet Sauvignon grapes of great aromatic intensity, outstanding fruit concentration, and complexity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wow. Aromas of black currant, plus a tiny hint of mint and lavender. Full body, with wonderful melted tannins that flow into the wine. Complex and beautiful.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Vinedo Chadwick has a lot of vanilla-y new oak on the nose although there is plenty of voluptuous black fruit to support it. The palate is smooth and rounded with good weight. The richness really comes through on the finish, though it maintains fine delineation and offers great length. This should age very well.
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.