{"title":"Country|Chile","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of South America’s most prolific New World wine producers, Chile can thank 16\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century Spanish missionaries for introducing indigenous European \u003cem\u003evitis vinifera, \u003c\/em\u003eor climbing grapevines, to the region. The descendants of these vines, which were primarily comprised of País grapes used for sacramental wine, are now part of the country’s winemaking history and tradition; however, Chile has evolved into a producer of remarkable wines heavily influenced by Old World classics, most notably those hailing from France’s iconic Bordeaux region. Now the world’s sixth largest exporter and seventh largest producer, Chile’s modern reputation is built upon its Bordeaux-inspired offerings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is an understatement to say that Chile’s greatest wine influence has historically been Bordeaux. Wealthy 19\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century landowners and diplomats often vacationed in France, and were known to bring French vines home with them in order to reproduce the wines they enjoyed overseas. In an unfortunate turn of events, Chile’s wine industry benefitted from France’s horrific phylloxera epidemic which occurred mid-century, driving many of France’s most notable winemakers to South America. These new immigrants were keen to pass along their experience and establish new vineyards, and the Chileans were nothing less than ideal students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!--read_more--\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Chile’s widely diverse selection of \u003cem\u003eterroirs\u003c\/em\u003e, this long, narrow country blessed with a Mediterranean climate is able to produce an equally eclectic spectrum of wines. (In fact, it’s been said by industry experts that if you can’t find a Chilean wine to your liking, you simply aren’t looking hard enough.) Most of Chile’s vineyards align with a 200-mile vertical stretch of land in the central part of the country. Only 100 miles wide and nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Chile’s climate, often described as similar to those found in California and France, is most impacted east to west versus north to south, thus allowing its variety of grapes to flourish. Most of the growing areas are dry, and as in Argentina (its neighbor to the east), many are irrigated by the melting snow of the Andes. The main wine growing areas are the small but critically acclaimed Aconcagua Valley known for its strong and dynamic reds; the ocean-cooled Casablanca Valley which produces refined Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; the Maipo Valley, comprised of the Alto, Central and Pacific Maipo sub-regions; the celebrated Colchagua Valley, famous for deeply robust, full-bodied reds; the Curicó Valley, known for its consistent and dependable production of affordable reds and whites; and the Maule Valley, the oldest and one of the largest wine producing regions in all of Chile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are now considered the best among Chile’s offerings, Carménère remains its prominent varietal. Fruity, spicy and considerably lower in tannins than other reds, the grape was thought to be all but permanently lost after the phylloxera blight. Even Chilean winemakers had no idea until the 20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century that their lines of Merlot were actually the elusive Carménère. Perhaps this miracle finding is part of the reason behind the grape’s prominence and stature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the mid-20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century brought Chile both political and economic obstacles to its wine industry growth, its dual reputation for ideal \u003cem\u003eterroirs\u003c\/em\u003e and good wine at reasonable prices piqued the interest of American and European investors, thus facilitating a much-welcomed recovery. With investments came advancements in the winemaking process, including stainless steel fermentation tanks and oak barrels replacing Chile’s traditional beech wood. Production soon soared, and Chile became the world’s third leading wine exporter to the U.S. Now ranked fourth due to Australia’s 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e century prominence among American consumers, Chile has refocused much of its effort on making the same impact on Asian and European markets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn past decades, the affordability of Chilean wines may have played a role in its inability to compete with some of the more respected European wine producers. The truth, however, is that select wines from Chile can more than hold their own against its illustrious competitors. For example, Seña, produced by noted winery Viña Errazuriz, placed ahead of Château Lafite and Château Margaux in a 2004 blind tasting in Berlin. An unexpected yet exciting first for the country’s wine industry, Seña, whose name means “signal,” lived up to its moniker, as its win sent the message that Chile is poised to become a viable producer of world-class wine. Now, with aggressive investors determined to develop Chile’s dynamic terrain to its fullest potential, the country’s winemaking future is sure to be an interesting one.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"chile-central-valley-cachapoal-valley-aristos-duque-cabernet-sauvignon","title":"Aristos, Duque Cabernet Sauvignon","description":"NA","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2008 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35400341946523,"sku":"115476220081200750","price":1110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2009 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35400342077595,"sku":"115476220091200750","price":1110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2010 \/ 3x1.5L","offer_id":35400342438043,"sku":"115476220100301500","price":690.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2011 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400342634651,"sku":"115476220110600750","price":780.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2012 \/ 3x1.5L","offer_id":35400342667419,"sku":"115476220120301500","price":930.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2012 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400342700187,"sku":"115476220120600750","price":750.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2010 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400342732955,"sku":"115476220100600750","price":790.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Aristos_20-_20Duque_20Cabernet_20Sauvignon_20-_20Cachapoal_20Valley_20-_20Central_20Valley_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201154762_50ecc6bd-87f0-4728-8617-e27e7b7f4009.png?v=1596875346"},{"product_id":"chile-central-valley-colchagua-valley-casa-lapostolle-clos-apalta","title":"Casa Lapostolle, Clos Apalta","description":"NA","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2012 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400723595419,"sku":"108316120120600750","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2014 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400723628187,"sku":"108316120140600750","price":880.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2015 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400723660955,"sku":"108316120150600750","price":850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2016 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35400723693723,"sku":"108316120161200750","price":1400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Casa_20Lapostolle_20-_20Clos_20Apalta_20-_20Colchagua_20Valley_20-_20Central_20Valley_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201083161_5ad480db-7d53-4411-8f5e-6c6d39adced3.png?v=1596877113"},{"product_id":"chile-central-valley-maipo-valley-concha-y-toro-don-melchor-cabernet-sauvignon","title":"Concha Y Toro, Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon","description":"The 2012 Don Melchor, which in that ripe and warm vintage contained some 7% Cabernet Franc, has a showy nose with ripe blackberries that develop minty aromas with some time in the glass. The grapes are selected from their 127 hectares of vineyards in the zone, and fermented in small stainless steel vats to separate the different plots that are kept apart until after malolactic, when they are tasted and the blend is decided in July (the grapes are harvested between mid April and mid-May). The wine aged for 15 moths in French oak barrels, 70% of which were new. The palate is juicy with round tannins and good volume of fruit with the softness of a ripe vintage, showing the expressive aromas of the year. 91,200 bottles produced. This wine will be sold in March 2016.","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2012 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35400991604891,"sku":"108317420120600750","price":880.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Concha_20Y_20Toro_20-_20Don_20Melchor_20Cabernet_20Sauvignon_20-_20Maipo_20Valley_20-_20Central_20Valley_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201083174.png?v=1596878412"},{"product_id":"chile-central-valley-maule-valley-de-martino-maule-vally-carignan-aguada-old-vines","title":"De Martino, Maule Vally Carignan Aguada Old Vines","description":"NA","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2015 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35401081847963,"sku":"140452220151200750","price":520.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-De_20Martino_20-_20Maule_20Vally_20Carignan_20Aguada_20Old_20Vines_20-_20Maule_20Valley_20-_20Central_20Valley_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201404522_feb727ad-2201-43bb-8864-88c75.png?v=1596878828"},{"product_id":"chile-aconcagua-aconcagua-valley-errazuriz-aconcagua-valley-don-maximiano-founders-reserve","title":"Errazuriz, Aconcagua Valley Don Maximiano Founders Reserve","description":"NA","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2006 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35401491382427,"sku":"135662920060600750","price":910.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2007 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35401491415195,"sku":"135662920071200750","price":1580.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Errazuriz_20-_20Aconcagua_20Valley_20Don_20Maximiano_20Founders_20Reserve_20-_20Aconcagua_20Valley_20-_20Aconcagua_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201356629.png?v=1596880261"},{"product_id":"chile-aconcagua-na-errazuriz-las-pizarras-chardonnay","title":"Errazuriz, Las Pizarras Chardonnay","description":"I had the luck of tasting two vintages of the Chardonnay from slate\/schist soils side by side, including the 2016 Aconcagua Costa Las Pizarras Chardonnay. The juice from the whole clusters decanted for 24 hours, fermented in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts and then aged in barriques for 14 months. It's a little more compressed than the 2017 and has good, vibrant flavors with some floral notes and some gentler flavors, perhaps more similar to the 2014, with the austere schist minerality but with more volume and juicy fruit. There is a little more malolactic in this year. If people have the idea that 2015 is warmer than 2016 and that 2017 is again warmer, the character of these Aconcagua Costa bottlings is the opposite, 2015 and 2017 are fresher, and 2016 is a little warmer. This sometimes happens, as the cooler years are harvested later and the warmer ones see an earlier harvest, so that the wines are exactly the opposite of what you expect. This is great, and its only problem is being tasted next to the 2017, which is otherworldly. 5,000 bottles were filled in May 2017.","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2016 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35401492103323,"sku":"166508820160600750","price":560.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Errazuriz_20-_20Las_20Pizarras_20Chardonnay_20-_20NA_20-_20Aconcagua_20-_20White_20-_20Label_20-_201665088_827db90a-6fd5-40c4-9245-21c0fd3a7f9b.png?v=1596880265"},{"product_id":"chile-aconcagua-na-errazuriz-las-pizzaras-chardonnay","title":"Errazuriz, Las Pizzaras Chardonnay","description":"NA","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2016 \/ 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The year was also cooler, and the 2016 Almaviva, a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenère, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot has less alcohol at 13.9% compared to 15% in 2014. The élevage was shortened to 16 months, and they decreased the percentage of new French barrels used down to 77% from the 82% in the previous year. The wine is fresher and less marked by the oak, a more fluid version, with fine tannins. This is a little different, a lighter and fresher year. It was a very dry winter, complicated by rains. I found very good harmony and fine tannins, balance and freshness in one of the most elegant vintages I remember from Almaviva. This has contained power, very accessible tannins and no green notes at all. It's young but accessible and should develop nicely in bottle, as it has the balance and freshness. This is an elegant and fresh vintage for Almaviva, young and tender, taking advantage of the natural conditions for it. Well done! 180,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2017.","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"1997 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35402715693211,"sku":"108324619971200750","price":2100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2014 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35402715725979,"sku":"108324620140600750","price":1300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2017 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35402715758747,"sku":"108324620170600750","price":1650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Rothschild_20_20Concha_20Y_20Toro_20-_20Almaviva_20-_20NA_20-_20Maipo_20Valley_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201083246.png?v=1596888487"},{"product_id":"chile-na-na-vik-millahue","title":"Vik, Millahue","description":"NA","brand":"wwus-dev","offers":[{"title":"2011 \/ 12x750ml","offer_id":35403015127195,"sku":"132869920111200750","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2012 \/ 6x750ml","offer_id":35403015159963,"sku":"132869920120600750","price":1100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/products\/Bottle-Vik_20-_20Millahue_20-_20NA_20-_20NA_20-_20Red_20-_20Label_20-_201328699_d8dc2145-c3eb-40a1-b285-609372c758bc.png?v=1596890101"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0454\/4108\/9691\/collections\/chile.jpg?v=1596793119","url":"https:\/\/wwus-dev.myshopify.com\/collections\/wine-list-chile.oembed","provider":"wwus-dev","version":"1.0","type":"link"}