Following our rundown of fine whites from Chile, then great Carmenères and Cabernets, now we bring you some more obscure releases, taking in 11 exciting reds, be they unusual blends, top-end Syrahs, and one varietal wine made from a near-forgotten grape.
EL PACTO – ROMANO Producer: Santa Carolina Region: Cauquenes Vintage: 2021 Grape varieties: 100% Romano ABV: 13% Approx. retail price: £15 Score: 90 An exciting taste of a near-forgotten grape – Romano, of which there are only a few hectares in Chile, and Irancy in northern Burgundy. Flavourwise, this grape – called Cesar in France – delivers plenty of fleshy ripe raspberry and touch of blackcurrant, followed by fresh, redcurrant crunchiness and firm, grippy, dry tannins to make you salivate. Medium weight, it does have the structure that would befit a rather more concentrated red. But an interesting addition to the increasingly eclectic and therefore exciting Chilean wine scene. PAI Producer: LFE Region: Itata Valley Vintage: 2022 Grape varieties: 100% País ABV: 12.5% Approx. retail price: £9 Score: 88 Quite a pale wine, with a slight cloudiness, and notes of sweet strawberry, along with crisp apple, characters that are also found on the palate, where there’s also a touch of pink bubblegum and a lager-like character too. Interestingly, it’s a red that mixes ripe, almost jammy characters with a light body and a refreshing finish. In short a ‘natural’seeming wine from 80-year-old País that’s light enough to be served chilled. MILLAPOA Producer:
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
