So we chose only those that really stood out from the crowd. Then, from that shortlist, we picked out our top white and our two top reds. Long on the palate and full of ripe fruit, it has a definitely New World style. Afficionados of this style loved it, the faint of heart and palate poured it away. Went very well with brie and celery.
Tannins are quite soft and the style of winemaking favours early drinking.
Longer aging is not going to achieve much for these wines. Concha y Toro, Maipo Valley Cabernet Syrah 1996, Oddbins Single varietals tend to be the order of the day in Chile, so we were rather attracted by this exception to the rule. I thought the Cabernet was dominant, with good Cassis fruit coupled with sultry southern smokiness. Here was a wine with some propere backbone, but with attractive flavours of plums. It could stand a little more time in the bottle but it would already pair up well with a powerful meat dish.