For me, this is the best Purple Angel since 2016, another cooler, fresher vintage in Chile. Partnering Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot, with equal parts of the blend from Apalta and Marchigüe, this has plenty of graphite and tarragon on the nose, supple, granular tannins, layers of coffee bean, chocolate and black cherry and a balanced, nuanced finish. Drink date: 2025-2036. Score - 97. (timatkin.com, Chile Special Report 2024)
Deep, opulent and rich but not overdone. Plenty of blackberries, dark chocolate and cigar box. Spices and graphite, too. Just a hint of figs. The full-bodied palate is tightly wound but tense, with tight tannins and concentrated black fruit. Really flavorful and long. Drink or hold [until 2030+]. Score - 96. (Zekun Shuai, jamessuckling.com, April 24, 2023)
The finesse and complexity is impressive here, with blackcurrants, lavender and sandalwood, not to mention violets and white roses. Just a hint of tar. Medium- to full-bodied with round yet tight tannins that build on the palate. The most elegant yet structured M I have tasted. Best ever? Better in three or four years. Try after 2027. Score - 98. (jamessuckling.com, Feb. 12, 2024)
It's exciting to taste the first release of an Albariño from Viña Montes' Pacific Ocean-influenced vineyard in the cool climate of Zapallar. Tangy, crunchy and unwooded, it has plenty of granitic zip and intensity, notes of lime, citrus and white pepper and a hint of passion fruit sweetness. Very promising. Drink date: 2026-2029. Score - 93. (Tim Atkin, MW, timatkin.com, Chile Special Report 2025)
This blend of 50% carignan, 30% grenache, and 20% mourvèdre comes from the granitic soils of Marchigüe, on the western side of the Colchagua Valley. It has very good concentration, ripe and succulent flavors, and a layer of sweet spices that seem to come from aging in barrels for a year (half the volume) atop fierce, intense tannins with a charming rusticity that's typical, especially in carignan. This is for lamb. Score - 93. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2023)
Named for a goose that migrates between Chile and Argentina, Kaiken is crafted by famed Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes. Beautifully balanced and packed with chocolate, black plum, nuts, spice and toast. Pair with meat-lovers' pizza or grilled lamb chops.
