Chile
Chile’s wine industry is founded on diversity, which is why an overview of Chile’s climate, grapes, and regions barely skims the surface of what this exciting country has to offer. This narrow strip of land can produce festive sparklers, crisp and refreshing whites, and bold, world-class reds, plus every style in between.
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Miguel Torres Cordillera Carignan is a 100% Carignan, sourced from old, dry vineyard in the Maule Valley. Miguel Torres acquired a small winery in Curicó, in the Chilean central valley, in 1979. It was the first foreign company to back Chilean vineyard production. The excellent climate conditions for cultivating grapevines, with great temperature differences between night and day and lands are free of the grape phylloxera, have contributed to the fact that sublime wines are being made in lands from where one can view the greatness of the Andes, crowned by snow and a noble beauty. As of 2010 Miguel Torres Chile is directed by Miguel Torres Maczassek, a fifth generation Torres winemaker who moved to Chile with his family in order to maintain the tradition and passion for winemaking that the Torres family has demonstrated for over a hundred years. Some of the Carignan vines in the Maule Valley from which this wine is made are up to 80 years old and are some of the world’s oldest. Opaque, intense ruby red color. Floral and fruit aromas with toasty oak imparted undertones. The palate is big and unfolds beautifully. Here the notes perceived on the nose are complemented by hints of bay leaf and mint. Ideal with patés, duck confit, rice with meat or vegetables, roast or barbecued beef, ragouts and beef stews. -
Pour Ma Gueule means translated directly for my mouth but really means down my throat! Well if you taste this wine you will understanding the obvious meaning then... Clos de Fous means they’re all crazy. Well in a positive way, this is not too far from the truth and don't let the French here foul you, this is a Chilean wine from the renowed Itata Valley! This is a wine region in the southern end of Chile's long, thin wine producing zone. Unfortunately they are going through a moment where they are planting Chardonnay and Cab savs to serve the American market, but wineries likes this still stay true to their origins and place in the world and have gems like this. Hopeyou enjoy as much I did as it’s a curiosity but a fun wine at this price. Pair it with roasts, game, charcuterie — anything rich and spiced. -
To celebrate the estate's 25th anniversary, the 2020 vintage by Almaviva is adorned with a special "25 años" label. Viña Almaviva was founded in 1997 following the collaboration between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and Don Alfonso Larrain, President of Viña Concha y Toro. The Viña Almaviva project gives rise to fine Chilean wines that benefit from a rich French winemaking know-how and the unique expression of this Central Valley terroir. The name Almaviva, though it has an Hispanic sonority, belongs to classical French literature: Count Almaviva is the hero of The Marriage of Figaro, the famous play by Beaumarchais (1732-1799), later turned into an opera by the genius of Mozart. The label, meanwhile, pays homage to Chile’s ancestral history, with three reproductions of a stylized design, which symbolizes the vision of the earth and the cosmos in the Mapuche civilization. The design appears on the kultrun, a ritual drum used by the Mapuche. The label bears the name Almaviva in Beaumarchais’ own handwriting. Two great traditions thus join hands to offer the whole world a promise of pleasure and excellence. Located in the heart of the beautiful Maipo Valley, the Almaviva vineyard covers 50 hectares. The emblematic Bordeaux grape varieties thrive in this exceptional terroir. Almaviva has now become an essential reference for fine Chilean wines throughout the world. A particularly dry year, 2020 began with a cool, dry winter, resulting in a late budburst, particularly during the first two weeks of October. The spring and summer were marked by high temperatures but also by drought. These conditions favoured a rapid maturation of the vineyard and an early harvest, which ended three to four weeks earlier than in recent years. Despite this extreme climate and thanks to the rigour of the teams, the 2020 vintage reveals a fruity structure, a fresh expression and a rare tension.
