On the Road with the Grape Guy

Chilean Wine Tasting 2023

21 Mar 2024

Details: Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

Chile 1

(November 2023) … This year’s Chilean event was held in a much smaller room than in year’s past, which made for a cramped show, so you made friends quickly; and bumped into them often

Chile is broken into 3 Regions - North to South
Andes / Costa / Entre Cordilleras

... and 16 Valleys (click the pictures above to explore mine)

Copiapo Valley - Huasco Valley - Elqui Valley - Limari & Choapa Valleys -
Aconcagua Valley - Casablanca Valley - San Antonio Valley - Maipo Valley
Cachapoal Valley - Colchagua Valley - Curico Valley - Maule Valley
Itata Valley - Bio Bio & Malleco Valleys - Cautin Valley - Osorno Valley

Last year, I named a winery of the tasting. This year it’s a completely different winery, and they had the most wines I tried that were scoreable, and good scores at that.

This year’s winery was Vina Sutil Wines – from the fruit driven Chardonnay to the Carmenere with its own frame of reference, without leaning on everyone else’s version of the grape. The Cabernet delivered on purity; and their blends, especially Acrux were wonderful wines to sip on – this winery just seemed to be showing off with each wine.

Winery of the tasting: Vina Sutil Wines

Vina Sutil 2022 Gran Reserva
(Chardonnay)
Vineyard is 25km from ocean; This wine shows off with plenty of fruit, loaded with green apple freshness backed by lovely acidity ... (****+)

Vina Sutil 2020 Acrux
(Carmenere / Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet Franc / Malbec / Petit Verdot)
Spicy yet still silky; pretty, dark berries, pencil shavings – this wine is aged in 3000L foudres to keep the fruitiness front and center ... (****+)

Vina Sutil 2023 Bella
(Garnacha Mourvedre)
Pretty fruit with good acidity ... (****)

Vina Sutil 2022 Gran Reserva
(Cabernet Sauvignon)
Good mouthfeel: blackberry, plum, smoked cherry ... (*** ½+)

Vina Sutil 2021 Limited Release
(Carmenere)
Pure fruit and fun ... (*** ½+)

Vina Sutil 2022 Gran Reserva
(Merlot)
Good fruit core and even though the wine spends 10 months in oak, it never gets in the way of the fruit; a nice balancing act. ... (*** ½)

Best of the Rest …

Casas del Bosque 2021 Pequenas Syrah
Silky black cherry with a nice spicy finish ... (****+)

Perez Cruz 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Piedra Seca
Spice, plum, and blackberry - very approachable; 1st ever production of this wine - well worth the wait … (****+)

Casas del Toqui 2021 Gran Toqui Cabernet Sauvignon
Smoky and smooth with nice berry fruit, vanilla, spice and a silky finish ... (****)

Concha y Toro 2022 Diable Crystal
(Sauvignon Blanc)
Young, fresh, lively and clean - drop of herbal with lots of fruity freshness ... (****)

Errazuriz 2021 Aconcagua Costa
(Pinot Noir)
Pretty floral, cran-cherry, gentle and easy across the palate, but with good acidity ... (****)

Montes 2021 Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon
Smooth and silky; easy drinking - lots of blueberry and plum ... (****)

Perez Cruz 2020 Pircas Cabernet Sauvignon
Black cherry and blackberry; this is a nice sipping wine ... (****)

San Pedro 2021 Sideral
(Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah / Carmenere / Cabernet Franc / Petit Verdot)
Silky smooth, plum, black cherry with a smoky finish ... (****)

Tarapaca 2020 Gran Reserva Etiqueta Azul
(Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah / Cabernet Franc)
Lovely length, spicy, plum, blueberry and mocha ... (****)

Casas del Bosque 2023 La Cantera
(Sauvignon Blanc)
Richer and fuller bodied from their regular Savvy B, this is due to the lees contact ... (*** ½+)

Casas del Toqui 2023 Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc
Fresh, bright and clean ... (*** ½+)

Montes 2021 Alpha Chardonnay Chile 7
A little spicy with good acidity ... (*** ½+)

Santa Carolina 2020 Reserva de Familia
(Cabernet Sauvignon)
Minty and easy; this is an after eight in the glass wrapped in cassis and blackberry ... (*** ½+)

Leyda 2022 Reserva
(Sauvignon Blanc)
Lordy there's a nice grapefruit, that’s fresh, fruity and zippy - good length on the finish ... (*** ½+)