Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile - The Colchagua Valley

The Colchagua Valley

The Colchagua Valley is located in Chile approximately 80 miles south of Santiago. It stretches south-east to north-west for 70 miles at its widest point with its western boundary formed by the coastal hills that run the entire length of Chile's Pacific coastline and to the foothills of the Andes in the east.

Colchagua Valley Climate

The Colchagua Valley has an ideal wine-growing climate. It has warm days and cool nights due to the ocean breezes. It’s a relative dry region that gets its water supply from Andes run-off and the occasional rain. The region maintains a consistently Mediterranean climate where Cabernet Sauvignon plantings mostly occur in the warmer eastern region.

Colchagua Valley Terroir

Like so many other wine regions, the slopes on the edges of the coastal mountains are the most desirable locations for grape growing in the Colchagua Valley. These vineyards have well-drained granitic soils, cooler temperatures than those in the valley floor and benefit from the diurnal temperature variation.

Colchagua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet Sauvignon of the Colchagua Valley are some of the best wines of Chile’s Central Valley and are available at great values with many in the $20 price range. An upcoming Behind the Cork™ will feature three Cabernet’s from this region and providing more details on their characteristics.

The soils and higher temperatures of the Colchagua Valley results in a different profile for Cabernet Sauvignon than that found in Maipo Valley. And, we’ll explore that region next time. Cheers!

The Wines of Chile - Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted red variety in Chile and it is the grape credited with putting Chile on the world stage. It accounts for around 100,000 acres planted which is just over 20% of all vineyard plantings in Chile. These vineyards extend from Atacama in the country’s far north to the Araucania region midway down the coast – a distance of roughly 1000 miles.

But, the productive core of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is the Central Valley where three regions account for 97% of total planted surface area: O’Higgins (43,103 acres), Maule (38,338 acres) and the Metropolitan Region (14,807 acres). These regions span the area west of the Andes and on to the Pacific Coast, meaning that they include all the different terroirs of Chile.

So, within the O’Higgins region, for example, the Colchagua Valley covers two-thirds of the Cabernet Sauvignon planted, while the Maipo Valley boasts a historic core of vineyards in the Metropolitan Region.

Comparing and contrasting these two iconic Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon regions is where we’ll go next. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Veramonte Carménère Reserva

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2018 Veramonte Carménère Organic Reserva ($11.99)

This organic Carménère Reserva from Veramonte is produced from 100% Carménère (kar-men-nair) from the Colchagua Valley in Chile.

The Carménère grapes are cold macerated for five days in open-top stainless steel tanks and then fermented with native yeasts. Following primary fermentation, the wine is macerated with its skin for another ten days to achieve greater smoothness and intensity of flavor. The wine is then aged in neutral French oak barrels for eight months.

The wine is medium purple in color, with subtle hints of black cherry on the nose. On the palate is has flavors of dark stone fruits and blackberry, medium-low tannin, hints of vanilla from the oak aging and an easy finish.

This organic Carménère from Veramonte is a great fit as a Behind the Cork™ wine because it’s very affordable and attainable. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications