Maipo Valley is one of Chile's most important wine-producing regions. Located just South of the capital, Central-valley/maipo-valley/santiago">Santiago, Maipo Valley is home to some of the country's most prestigious wines. It is often described as the 'Bordeaux of South America', and Rich, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtedly its most celebrated wine style.
Maipo is at the very Northern end of Chile's extensive Central Valley, running from just north of the Rapel Valley up to where the countryside begins to give way to houses and roads in the southern suburbs of Santiago.
The Coastal Range separates the area from the Pacific coast, and on the eastern side, the Andes Mountains rise suddenly and dramatically, separating Maipo from the Argentinean region of Mendoza.
The Maipo Valley is the home of viticulture in Chile. The first vines were Planted around Santiago at the city's birth in the 1540s, but it wasn't until the 1800s that viticulture began to expand significantly, as an indirect result of entrepreneurial Chileans growing rich from the Mineral wealth found in the Atacama Desert to the north. It became fashionable for these wealthy individuals to travel to France, and they inevitably returned home with vines to plant in their New, French-influenced wine estates.
The vineyards of Cousino Macul, Concha Y Toro and Santa Rita were developed during this period, and they remain today important names in the Chilean wine industry.
The region can be roughly separated into three broad areas: Alto Maipo, Central Maipo and Maipo Bajo.
The vineyards of Alto Maipo (or Upper Maipo) run along the eastern edge of the Andes Mountains, where they benefit from altitudes of 1300-2500ft (400-760m) above sea level. At this height, Warm sun during the day is followed by colder nights, which slow ripening.
Mainly cultivated in the Languedoc region, carignan originates from Spain. Because of its very resistant branches, it is often called hardwood. Its bunches are quite large. They are compact and winged with a lignified stalk. The berries are spherical in shape and take on a bluish-black colour. Carignan has a total of 25 approved clones, the best known of which are 274, 65 and 9. The carignan buds at the beginning of June and is protected from spring frosts. It does not reach maturity until the third period. Also, this grape variety needs warmth and sunshine. It appreciates dry and not very fertile soils. Carignan vines can live for more than 100 years. Those that are more than 30 years old produce a better wine. This wine is well coloured. It is generous and powerful at the same time. Pepper, cherry, blackberry, banana, raspberry, almond, prune and violet are some of the aromas that this grape variety gives off.
red wines from the region of Maipo Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of roasted fillet of beef with parsley, leg of lamb in braillouse or lamb chops marinated with herbs.
On the nose in the region of Maipo Valley often reveals types of flavors of earthy, floral or chocolate and sometimes also flavors of cassis, mint or cheese. In the mouth in the region of Maipo Valley is a powerful with a lot of tannins present in the mouth.
In this first episode of a series dedicated to Chablis wines on @The Wine Show @Home, wine expert and TV host Joe Fattorini introduces the vineyards and the wines of Chablis through a tasting of three wines: a Petit Chablis, a Chablis and a Chablis Premier Cru. #PureChablis #BourgogneWines #Chablis ...
Merchants making up La Place de Bordeaux distribution system are continuing to take on new fine wines from around the world and the latest round of ‘beyond Bordeaux’ international releases has arrived in March 2023. In Bordeaux itself, this month has marked the first release of Château Latour 2015 and is set to also see Château d’Yquem 2020’s market debut on the 23 March (tasting note coming soon). Yet the rise of both March and September as key release periods for international wines sold via L ...
Both Mouton and Margaux 2021 were released en primeur at €420 per bottle ex-Bordeaux, down 2.8% on the 2020-vintage debut last year, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. While the market dynamics vary between these two First Growths, their 2021 grands vins were being sold en primeur as the cheapest of the last four vintages – below current prices on 2018, 2019 and 2020. Merchants were offering Mouton 2021 and Margaux 2021 at £5,100 (12x75cl in bond). Initial signs suggested t ...
