2021 Clos Apalta Le Petit Clos Valle De Apalta

2021 Clos Apalta Le Petit Clos Valle De Apalta

with No Comment $50-$60ChileKevin VogtProprietary Red

Clos Apalta

Le Petit Clos 2021
Valle De Apalta

2021 Clos Apalta Le Petit Clos Valle De Apalta

When Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle, heiress to the Grand Marnier legacy, rooted her family’s vision in Chile’s Apalta Valley, she sought to craft a wine that could stand among the world’s finest, blending Bordeaux’s artistry with the wild elegance of Apalta. Guided by the renowned Michel Rolland from the inaugural vintage, these wines bear a hallmark of sophistication and depth, each bottle reflecting the family’s French lineage.

The vineyard is a marvel of nature, a steep amphitheater etched into the Apalta hills, where granitic soils, sunlit slopes, and cooling river breezes converge to yield fruit of extraordinary balance. Here, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc ripen gradually under the valley’s distinctive conditions, capturing a purity of flavor and vibrancy unique to this terroir.

The final impression is one of poise and drama: Carmenère’s velvet depths intertwined with Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, Merlot’s gentle charm, and Cabernet Franc’s aromatic lift. Together they create a blend that resonates with power and harmony, a vivid portrait of one of Chile’s most iconic vineyards.

Clos Apalta
Le Petit Clos 2021
Valle De Apalta
Retails at: $65

Your Price: $55

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“A nice touch of baked cherries and dark chocolate to the deep blackberry fruit. Ink and a touch of graphite and dried herbs. Full-bodied and pretty powerful with fine-grained tannins and a long, extensive finish. 68% carmenere, 16% cabernet sauvignon,15% merlot and 1% cabernet franc. Give it two more years to let the fruit settle more. Drink or hold.”

96 Points

2022 Maquis Revela Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley

2022 Maquis Revela Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

Maquis

Revela Gran Reserva
Cabernet Sauvignon
Colchagua Valley 2022

2022 Maquis Revela Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley

The 2022 Maquis Revela Colchagua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon captivates with its bold, intricate, and elegantly crafted profile. Viña Maquis, rooted in one of Chile’s oldest estates, traces its origins to the 18th century, when Jesuit priests produced sacramental wine on this storied land. Since 1916, the Hurtado family has upheld this heritage, refining the vineyards and embracing a meticulous, hands-on approach to winemaking that vividly captures the essence of the terroir.

In 2022, a cool growing season followed a dry winter, yielding fruit of remarkable balance—crisp acidity, vibrant aromatics, and rich concentration. Sourced primarily from a rare 1997 block planted on ungrafted European rootstock, the Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Chile’s phylloxera-free soils, safeguarded by the Andes’ natural barrier. The result is a wine of exceptional purity and character, rarely matched elsewhere.

Blended with Cabernet Franc, Carménère, and Petit Verdot, this wine evokes a Left Bank Bordeaux spirit while distinctly reflecting its Chilean roots. Lively spice, refined structure, and elegance unite in a wine that narrates a compelling story of heritage, resilience, and place—far surpassing its price.

Maquis
Revela Gran Reserva
Cabernet Sauvignon
Colchagua Valley 2022

Your Price: $24

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“I like the restraint of this cabernet sauvignon, which almost delivers a Bordelais touch with its lead-pencil and graphite character. Structured and medium-bodied with firm, creamy tannins and a tight finish. Sustainable. Better from 2025.”

92 Points

2021 VIK Milla Cala Red Blend Millahue Valley Chile

2021 VIK Milla Cala Red Blend Millahue Valley Chile

with No Comment $40-$50ChileKevin VogtProprietary Red

VIK

Milla Cala Red Blend
Millahue Valley, Chile 2021

2021 VIK Milla Cala Red Blend Millahue Valley Chile

Vik’s 2021 Milla Cala embodies the pinnacle of Chilean winemaking, confidently ranking among the world’s finest wines under $50. Its profound character has earned prestigious recognition, securing #36 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2024 and a remarkable 95-point endorsement from James Suckling, affirming its captivating expression.

Milla Cala hails from the Millahue Valley, known as “Lugar de Oro,” or “Golden Place,” by the indigenous Mapuche. Nestled in the Andean foothills, its vines flourish across a mosaic of valleys shaped by cooling Pacific breezes and crisp mountain air, yielding grapes of exceptional purity and intensity.

Milla Cala elegantly blends Old World tradition with New World innovation, balancing nature’s influence with a refined human touch. Hand-harvested grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, showcasing an authentic style that vividly reflects its origins. Comprising nearly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, skillfully blended with Carménère, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot, the 2021 vintage offers seamless complexity and purity—a vibrant reflection of its remarkable terroir, lingering gracefully after each sip.

VIK
Milla Cala Red Blend
Millahue Valley, Chile 2021
Retails at: $49

Your Price: $42

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“Dark chocolate, black olives and a touch of sweet tobacco to the sweet blackberries. Rich and deep but very fresh at the same time. Firm, full and pretty seamless. Very long finish. 68% cabernet sauvignon, 16% carmenere, 4% cabernet franc, 7% syrah and 5% merlot. Drink or hold.”

95 Points

2020 VIK Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Millahue Valley Chile

2020 VIK Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Millahue Valley Chile

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

VIK

Omega 2020
Cabernet Sauvignon
Millahue Valley, Chile

2020 VIK Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Millahue Valley Chile

Chile has long been a land of untamed beauty, where nature’s extremes converge to shape wines of breathtaking precision. At the forefront of this movement is VIK, a winery that has rewritten the script for South American excellence. 

With a relentless pursuit of perfection, VIK has captured global attention, earning a flawless 100-point score on its flagship release. Within this legacy of greatness lies the 2020 Omega—a hidden treasure in its own right. A blend led by 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, elegantly intertwined with Carménère and a touch of Syrah, Omega is a wine that offers an opulent yet finely chiseled expression of its extraordinary terroir.

The 2020 Omega is a masterclass in balance, having spent 18 months in French oak barrels to refine its complexity. It is a wine that offers immediacy in its plush textures yet rewards patience with the promise of deepening complexity.

Omega embodies the relentless ambition of VIK—a winery that continues to push the limits of what Chilean wine can be.

VIK
Omega 2020
Cabernet Sauvignon
Millahue Valley, Chile
Retails at: $35

Your Price: $29.99

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“This wonderfully balanced, approachable, French oak-aged red way overdelivers.”

92 Points

2020 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

2020 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin VogtMaipo Valley

DOMUS AUREA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2020

2020 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

Clos Quebrada de Macul, a venerable Chilean vineyard founded in 1970, is nestled upon a rugged, low-yielding hillside that demands meticulous cultivation. Isabelle and Ricardo Peña established the estate, primarily planting Cabernet Sauvignon alongside smaller parcels of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, which flourish in this elevated, distinctive terroir. Initially, their coveted grapes were highly sought after by Chile’s premier wineries, commanding premium market prices. This success inspired the Peñas to embark on a new venture, founding their own winery.

In 1996, the Peñas introduced their inaugural vintage of Domus Aurea, which has since become the vineyard’s flagship wine and a celebrated Cabernet Sauvignon. Year after year, Domus Aurea garners international acclaim for its exceptional quality.

The 2020 vintage perpetuates this legacy, offering a wine of extraordinary power and depth. Featuring seamlessly integrated tannins, captivating complexity, and a remarkably enduring finish, it is a testament to the vineyard’s unique terroir and the expert craftsmanship of the Peña team.

DOMUS AUREA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2020
Retails at: $90

Your Price: $75

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“Domus Aurea comes from the historic Parcela 10 at the Clos Quebrada de Macul property, near the foot of the Andes, in Maipo Alto. That 16-hectare parcel was planted in 1970, and this wine corresponds to a selection of vines that produced a warm, generous, succulent, and voluptuous wine in 2020. The nose maintains the area’s classic notes of menthol, herbs, and eucalyptus. The palate is generous in everything: in tannins, in alcohol, in tones of candied red fruits, and in herbs. This is a big and powerful mouth-filling wine.”

96 Points

2018 Calcu Fotem Cabernet Sauvignon Valle De Colchagua Chile

2018 Calcu Fotem Cabernet Sauvignon Valle De Colchagua Chile

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

CALCU FOTEM 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
VALLE DE COLCHAGUA
CHILE 2018

2018 Calcu Fotem Cabernet Sauvignon Valle De Colchagua Chile

Hurtado family founded Calcu in 2003 in Marchigüe, Chile, located about 85 miles south of Santiago and 16 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Marchigüe’s prized terroir, composed of granite stone soils with clay deposits, produces powerful berries with a potent sense of place. Calcu’s vineyard team honors and respects this superior microclimate by sustainably farming the land and incorporating diversity with native plants and wildlife.

Calcu’s Fotem captures the regional terroir and personality of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Colchagua Valley’s most coastal terroir. 

This inaugural release highlights the granitic, clay soils and cool sea breeze influences that define this maritime region and delivers Cabernet with lively acidity, vibrant fruit, and spice with persistence and depth.

CALCU FOTEM 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
VALLE DE COLCHAGUA
CHILE 2018
Retails at: $55

Your Price: $32

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“The granitic soils in Marchigue tend to produce extremely tannic wines, and although we have nothing agains that (it’s nothing that the right food or some time in the cellar can’t fix), in this case, we’re surprised that a cabernet, a variety rich in tannins, shows such softness in its texture. According to winemaker Rodrigo Romero, the key lies in the quality of the grapes, which are harvested early with firmer skins that don’t give up their tannins as easily during fermentation. That, in addition to delicate extraction, makes this a silky cabernet full of red fruits with spicy and herbal tones and offering delicious varietal clarity. It’s elegant and subtle, a cabernet that’s sophisticated like few others in Colchauga.”

95 Points

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

DOMUS AUREA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley
One of Chile’s most renowned vineyards, Clos Quebrada de Macul, planted in 1970, sits on a low-yielding hillside site requiring highly skilled farming. Proprietors Isabelle and Ricardo Peña planted predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with a small mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot that they sold to some of the top wineries in Chile, reaching the highest price on the market and motivating the Peña’s to open a winery of their own.
 
The first vintage of Domus Aurea was released in 1996 and remains today the vineyard’s flagship wine and one of Chile’s most sought-after Cabernets. The wine consistently gained worldwide attention, garnering high praise from critics. 
 
The 2019 vintage comprises 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, traditionally vinified with a long, slow fermentation, aged 18 months in French oak barrels, and bottled unfiltered to preserve the integrity of the wine from this magnificent terroir.
 
DOMUS AUREA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“…It has the textbook notes of mint and eucalyptus, intermixed with exotic spices (cola nut and Jamaica pepper), quite aromatic, with notes of crème de cassis and good ripeness. It has the Domus character from the mountains and the stones with that dry sensation and austere palate….bottled in March 2021.”
95 Points
2018 Vik Milla Cala Millahue Valley Chile

2018 Vik Milla Cala Millahue Valley Chile

with No Comment $30-$40ChileKevin VogtProprietary Red

VIK

MILLA CALA 2018
MILLAHUE VALLEY CHILE

2018 Vik Milla Cala Millahue Valley Chile
Alex and Carrie Vik established VIK Winery in the rolling foothills of the Andes Mountains after nearly two years of scientific research seeking out the ideal terroir. After their search, they finally found the prime planting location in the Millahue Valley, in a pocket named “Lugar de Oro” or “Golden Place” by the native Mapuche people. The vines are planted in twelve undulating valleys of several different microclimates, all cooled by Pacific coastal breezes and Andes Mountain winds.
 
Milla Cala is a tribute to Old World meets New World by embodying the connection between the growing environment and the human hand. The vineyards are hand-harvested, and fermented with natural yeasts, giving a distinct house style. The 2018 release blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with Carmenere, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot, reflecting the region’s purity and rich complexity.
 
VIK
MILLA CALA 2018
MILLAHUE VALLEY CHILE
Retails at: $49
 
 
 
“Sweet berries, dried flowers, fresh mushrooms and some currants on the nose, following through to a medium to full body with fine, creamy tannins that give the wine form and tension. Juicy and savory fruit. A blend of cabernet franc, syrah, carmenere and merlot. Better to give this time, but already a beautiful, juicy red to drink. Drink or hold.”
94 Points
 
“A modern Bordeaux blend made by Cristian Vallejo who combines Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Carmenere, 14% Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot from Millahue, Cachapoal. Aged for 20 months in oak, it is opulent and tasty with a nose of cherries, plums, blackberries, currants, eucalyptus and aromatic herbs wisely combined with spicy aromas from the ageing. Full-bodied with a lush texture and accomplished freshness, the long finish offers fruity and balsamic aromas.”
94 Points
2019 Emiliana Coyam Valle De Colchagua

2019 Emiliana Coyam Valle De Colchagua

with No Comment $30-$40ChileKevin VogtProprietary Red

EMILIANA 

COYAM 2019
VALLE DE COLCHAGUA

2019 Emiliana Coyam Valle De Colchagua
Visionaries Rafael and José Guilisasti noticed a change in the global wine market in the late 1990s, with consumers consciously choosing wines, not just for health reasons but also looking into environmental and social aspects. Rafael and José partnered with winemaker Álvaro Espinoza converting a traditional Chilean winery into a 100% organic and biodynamic production facility focused on respecting the environment and creating wines of the highest quality.Colchagua Valley
 
 
Coyam is the winery’s proprietary red blend sourced from the Los Robles Estate in the Colchagua Valley, known for producing complex Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The grapes ripen slowly due to a mixture of ocean breezes and winds from the Andes Mountains. This wine represents the entire wine team’s commitment to excellence and responsibility, with a delicious balance of Chilean spice and fruit character, earning outstanding scores.
 
EMILIANA 
COYAM 2019
VALLE DE COLCHAGUA
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The 2019 Coyam is a blend of 38% Syrah, 33% Carmenere and several other grape varieties from the Los Robles vineyard in Colchagua, aged for 18 months, 75% in barrels and the rest in foudres and eggs. Expressive, complex and ripe on the nose; the oak lends cedar aromas to accompany the blackberry, raspberry and hints of spice. In the mouth, it’s fleshy with juicy freshness, a smooth texture and delicate, concentrated, relaxed tannins before the lengthy finish.” 
94 Points
2019 Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Franc Colchagua Valley Chile

2019 Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Franc Colchagua Valley Chile

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet FrancChileKevin Vogt

LOS VASCOS

CROMAS CABERNET FRANC
GRAN RESERVA 2019
COLCHAGUA VALLEY, CHILE

2019 Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Franc Colchagua Valley Chile
Spanish conquistadors brought viticulture to Chile in the 16th century. Today, the country boasts some of the world’s most prime vineyard land attracting foreign investment from some of the world’s most respected producers. After years of extensive soil research and tasting many wines to determine the potential of numerous unique sites, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired the Los Vascos estate in 1988.
 
Chateau Lafite’s technical director made several calculated decisions in planting new vines and restructuring existing vineyards, relying on his expertise gained while working for one of Bordeaux’s famous First Growths. The Cromas wine is 100% Cabernet Franc from fruit grown on granite hillsides in the Colchagua Valley, aptly named for the colorful composition of unique flavors in this wine from a Chilean terroir with a French pedigree. It’s simply stunning for this price.
 
LOS VASCOS
CROMAS CABERNET FRANC
GRAN RESERVA 2019
COLCHAGUA VALLEY, CHILE
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“Los Vascos 2019 Cromas Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc opens with enticing aromas of cloves, cedar, Maraschino cherry, dried herbs, black pepper, and cinnamon sticks. On the palate, the wine has a supple mouthfeel with soft tannins and flavors of red plum, ripe raspberry, chocolate fudge, and cola. The flavor intensity lingers on the palate for a long, smooth finish and irresistible drinkability.”
93 Points