Wine Region: Aconcagua

(2016) The wine that 'won' The Judgement of Berlin. 100% Cabernet from a cool year but a very good growing season. Lovely umami character, rare roast beef and a gently bloodiness and spice. There's espresso and dark aromas married to such a big, blood streaked palate of ripe and sweet fruit, lots of chocolate and earthy ripeness, and then a fine twist of bittersweetness, a touch of liquorice, in a fine, long and tapering fine finish.

(2016) A warm year, though the vineyard is in a cool spot so never too hot with more continental climate. A big seductive nose, laden with cassis and plum, a chocolate and spice laden nose but such a depth of fruit. Excellent palate, with a huge depth and plenty of polished oak, but a seductive and velvety style.

(2016) 90% Carmenere, 7% petit Verdot, 3% Syrah. 22 months in French oak, 60% new. Dark, glossy but quite closed. There’s a little touch of balsamic and green herb, a vinous black fruit. Rich fruitcake palate, lots of freshness and savoury, umami meatiness and the dark plum fruit. Plenty of grip and edge to this, high acid and plenty of spark. Tastes too young, so decant if drinking now. This vintage not in UK at time of writing.

(2016) Eduardo travelled to the Rhone and loved the wines, so imported vines from the Rhone in 1993. 22 months in French oak, 50% new. The oak has been dropped back and the addition of some Aconcagua Costa fruit is aimed at making a fresher style. Fruit mostly planted as in Hermitage, 1 x 1 metre on a single post. A touch of bloodiness, excellent freshness, spices and a solid red and black fruit character. Really very juicy, a bitter orange quality to the acidity, plenty of grip again, the tannins rounded but firm and juicy, a tart edge to the cherry and plum fruit. Not in UK at present, but previous vintages around £30 per bottle.

(2016) 54% Caberenet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 16% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, aged in new French oak for 22 months. Lovely softening rim, the colour just a touch pink on the rim. Very attractive nose. There is a pronounced oak influence, quite fragrant but with smoky vanilla, cedar, very good fruit, cassis and depth. Not too big, tempered by savoury orange acidity and fine but grippy tannins, a chewy density, some umami richness and savouriness. Long and well balanced, perhaps a smidgeon too much oak apparent.

(2013) One of the cooler areas of the day with around 1180 degree days here, with a diurnal range of 13.8ºC. 13.5% ABV. Clay and granite soils. Lots of flattering, creamy oak at first here in a deep crimson wine. There is a lovely pepper and game lift too though, and the fruit quite bright with a strawberry pulp character. Big, juicy fruitiness on the palate, loaded with sweet, slick fruit that is quite plush and velvety with ripe tannins and though plenty of dry extract, retains a juicy clarity.

(2011) Aged for one year in French and American oak. Cedar, briary notes and a savoury character here with plum and nice depths of berry fruits. The palate has spice and chocolate to spare, but there is a pleasingly underripe hint of spice, pepper and olive, before the sweet fruit asserts. This finishes with juicy blackcurrant and liquorice, and lots of svelte texture and style.

(2010) Made from 100% organic grapes, as a bleed-off from the high-end Syrah, around 5% was fermented in French oak. Big, rich, red fruit nose, with lots of summer pudding fruits. The palate has good weight, though there's a slightly tart, bitter lemon note set against 5.6g/l of residual sugar that just give a touch sweet/sour.

(2010) Aconcagua fruit for this wine now solely owned by Errazuriz (originally a joint venture with Mondavi). Cabernet Sauvignon with 16% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot, 10% Carmenère and 6% Cabernet Franc. A subtle, understated nose, with cedar and polished old wood notes, subtle spice and a refined Cabernet fruitiness. There is a touch of racy and herbal, balsamic quality, with such pure, cool, purity to the fruit. It has delightful fruit sweetness, but the silky, chocolaty tannins and pin-point acidity bring this to a very fine point in the finish. Much softer and more subtle than the Don Maximiano, but fabulous quality.

(2010) 50% of wine in older oak barrels. Nice tobacco and gentle herbal aromas, with a plumy, sweet, quite gamy edge beneath. A touch of mint. On the palate there is a fruit sweetness here, with just a little cloying hint, but then the acidity freshens it.