Top 100 red wines of Chile - Page 5

Discover the top 100 best red wines of Chile as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Chile and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Chile

Chile is one of the most important wine producing countries in South America. Occupying a thin strip on the west coast of the continent, it is home to a wide range of Terroirs and wine styles. The Chilean wine industry is often associated in export markets with good quality, consistent wines, but some world-class reds are also produced and sell at high prices. For red wines, the first export stalwarts were the France/bordeaux">Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Grape/sauvignon">Sauvignon and Merlot, Like many New World countries, Chile has adopted an iconic grape variety; here it is Carmenère, once widely grown in Bordeaux.

It was thought to have disappeared as a result of the Phylloxera epidemics in Europe in the 19th century, but it was rediscovered in Chile in the 1990s. Much of this variety was mixed with Merlot plants in the Vineyards; it was often thought that the Carmenère vines were less successful mutations of the former. Once they were identified and the fruit was left an extra week or two on the vine to Fully ripen, Carmenère and single-varietal blends began to spread (NB: this variety is usually spelled Carménère - with two accents - outside Chile). Pinot Noir from cooler regions of Chile is beginning to make an impression, and Syrah is gaining popularity in many regions offering a wide variety of styles.

The distribution of red varieties in Chile also includes Bordeaux players, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The importance of the latter has increased in light of Argentina's success with this variety, although plantings in Chile date back to the 19th century. Cinsaut and Carignan join Syrah in the French contingent in the South. White wine plantings are dominated by Chardonnay - also grown in many different macroclimates - which can reach very high levels of quality with prices to match, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Chile

red wines from the region of Chile go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, pasta or veal such as recipes of alsatian bäckeoffe, baked lasagna or casserons in the country style.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Chile

On the nose in the region of Chile often reveals types of flavors of oaky, sweet tobacco or black plum and sometimes also flavors of tobacco leaf, citrus fruit or tree fruit. In the mouth in the region of Chile is a powerful with a lot of tannins present in the mouth.

News from the vineyard of Chile

Decanter magazine latest issue: May 2023

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Decanter Retailer Awards: The 2022 winners

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Burns Night: Wines to match with haggis

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