Chile

Antiyal Winery, Maipo Valley   Antiyal, meaning "Sons of the Sun", is a proprietary blend of Carmenère, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is owned and produced by Alvaro Espinoza, one of the new, cult winemakers rapidly making his mark on the Chilean scene. This wine is a rich, extracted wine that was recently awarded 91 points by the Wine Spectator. At this price, you won't believe the quality. However, the getting is slim. Only 125 six-packs of this rich blend were imported, however we managed to snag a few. As much as we dislike that word "allocation", we’re not kidding in this case.  Kuyen, meaning moon in Mapuche, is Alvaro’s newest release.  Made from organic grapes which give s superior expression of terroir,  this wine is made in honor of the indigenous inhabitants of Chile, the Mapuche Indians.

Apaltagua, Maipo Valley   Apaltagua specializes in that distinguished, but lesser known, grape varietal called Carmenère . Commonly referred to as the "lost Bordeaux" variety, it was virtually eliminated in Bordeaux due to its inability to ripen properly in the cooler climate of southwestern France. In Chile, with its long summers and increased "hangtime", Carmenère flourishes and ripens into a full-blown red. These un grafted, 60-year old vines at Apaltagua are located on the family estate in the prestigious Apalta district of Chile, producing wines with a chocolate richness and a peppery edge. The seven Donoso Silva brothers attack their winemaking with a missionary-like zeal with the help of consulting winemaker Alvaro Espinoza.

De Martino, Maipo Valley   The De Martino family has been producing wine in Chile’s famous Maipo valley for 70 years. The wines reflect the area’s distinct terroir resulting in big, rich and concentrated flavors using delicate influences of oak. The winery just received a flurry of awards and recognition from Chile’s most prestigious wine guide, the 2004 Guia de Vinos de Chile, which singled out De Martino’s winemaker, Marcelo Retamal, as “Winemaker of the Year”. The Guia de Vinos guide, Chile’s equivalent to the Wine Spectator, also named the Legado Sauvignon Blanc, the Legado Carmenére and the Gran Familia Cabernet Sauvignon as the top wines in their categories. The Legado Carmenére is without question, the best 100% Carmenére we’ve ever tasted.

Estampa, Colchagua Valley   Estampa is a relatively new winery in the Colchagua Valley making unusually complex wines for the money. Their focus is on blending top quality varietals into sophisticated wines versus the more traditional practice of concentrating on single grapes. For example, their “assemblages” are blends that marry varietals such as Viognier and Chardonnay, Carménère with Cabernet and Cab Franc or Syrah with Cabernet. The wines are incredibly sophisticated and very clean on the palate, and when you look at the price, you won’t believe the quality. Compared to other Chilean wines at these price points, there is so much more stuffing in the Estampa bottles than just about anything else on the market. Take the taste test and find out for yourself. These wines are amazing!

Viña Maquis, Colchagua Valley   The Hurtado family has owned the Viña Maquis vineyard for more than a century, but it wasn’t until ten years ago that the family decided to make wine themselves out of the terrific grapes in their own backyard. They built a gorgeous, state-of-the-art gravity flow winery and set out to make a “Super Chilean” blend using the vineyard’s best red grapes. The distinctive “Lien” is barrel aged for 12 months in French oak and consists of 60% Syrah, 25% Carmenére, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Malbec. In Chile's native Mapuche language, lien means "silver metal"—a reference to colonial Spanish coins that were once melted to make fine jewelry, like the lizard on the Maquis label. To make this fruity and concentrated blend, winemakers Ricardo Rivadeneira Hurtado and Alejandro Jofré have developed vines that bear no more than 12 bunches of grapes per vine. Only the ripest grapes are picked, and then they are sorted by hand at the winery. It is a generous red wine that reflects the character of the Hurtado family’s special plot of land. Fewer than 2,000 cases were produced.

Matetic EQ, San Antonio   The story of Matetic Vineyards began in 1999 when the Matetic family decided to diversify their business and enter the world of viniculture in Rosario Valley, a stretch of land blessed with a promising climate and equally favorable soils. From the earliest stages of the winery, it was decided that a skilled team of professionals would be responsible for this project, and that is why winemaker Rodrigo Soto, with winemaking advisor Ken Bernards and production advisor Ann Kraemer, were brought together at the end of 2000 with the task of producing high-quality Matetic Vineyards wines. Soto began his professional career at Viña Carmen, then moved on to Fetzer Vineyards in Bonterra, California; Wither Hills in Marlborough, New Zealand and Ceago Vinegarden in California. His EQ label is short for equilibrium. This concept stands for the commitment Matetic Vineyards has with nature in creating a harmony between the soil, the climate and the vines. The varieties are: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

Viña Peñalolén, Maipo Valley   Viña Peñalolén was founded by the superstar team of winemaker Jean Pascal Lacaze and vineyard owner Ricardo Peña. A wine of pedigree and complexity, Peñalolén is better than most California Cabernets costing twice as much. Granted, it’s not Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard, but this dynamite red shows a similar minty note, along with supple currant, smoke and a lingering coffee finish. It also contains Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This is a fantastic Bordeaux style wine from the one of the best growing regions in Chile. If it’s a crisp, white refresher that suits you best, don’t think that good Sauvignon Blanc only comes from California or New Zealand. This is one of the highest rated Sauv Blancs from South America and it has loads of citrus fruit and great acidity to complement any seafood pairing.