Central Valley
Learn more about Central Valley
Central Valley, a 1,000-km-long plateau, is the powerhouse of Chilean wine. Grapes grow well and ripen easily on this fertile flatland that benefits from natural irrigation (rivers carry melted snow from the Andes) and a generally Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers.
There are distinct climatic and soil variations between the individual regions in the valley and the result is a great diversity and some of the most exciting wines in Chile. The Central Valley regions are (from north to south) Rapel, with its sub-regions Cachapoal and Colchagua Valleys, Curico, and Maule.
Central Valley blends combine fruit from different areas for well-rounded, silky smooth wine styles that consistently offer some of the best-value in the world. For those who favour ripe styles, look no further than the warm area of Colchagua. Up-and-coming areas like Maule are also starting to demonstrate real potential and complexity.
Prices:
Bottle
£9.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl374cs
Bottle
£13.25
The nose of this Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is brightly pungent, with notes of passion fruit, peas and asparagus jumping out at you. The green edge follows through to a fruit-driven palate, long and concentrated. It is enjoyably refreshing and appealingly classic in style.
Bottle
£14.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle
£16.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl24cs
Bottle
£17.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl7cs
Bottle
£17.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl20cs
The finer wines from Chile are getting seriously good. One of the key members of Chile’s new wave, the De Martinos were also among the first to explore the potential of the neglected stock of old Carignan vines in the traditional winemaking area of the Maule Valley. Dense, multilayered, spicy, rich and chewy, the results, in a wine such as De Martino Vigno 2012 have a Mediterranean feel to them, with earthy and herbal tones.
David Williams, The Guardian, Aug 2015
Bottle
£23.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl5cs
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Antis is the flagship wine; it has a definite Bordeaux personality but with a Chilean twist. The blend is almost unique, and gives an enticing nose of blackcurrants, blackcurrant leaf and rosehip syrup. This wine is very full-bodied, with all the ripe fruit ably supported by svelte French oak (18 months in 100 percent new casks).
Bottle
£50.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Magnum
£246.00
Magnum 1 x 150cl1cs
The mouth feel is generous with round, concentrated and refined tannins, underlining a plenitude of ripe fruit. The wine is polished, elegant and focused, ending in a long, dense and fleshy finish. The overall result is a complex and powerful wine, persistent, layered and well balanced.
The nose is elegant and multi-layered, revealing a generous bouquet of ripe cassis, wild berries and violets, with underlying notes of vanillin, espresso bean and dark mocha. The palate is packed full of rich and dense fruit, yet there is a cool definition and character to the wine. The tannins are perfectly balanced and ripe. The cool growing season has no doubt balanced out the rich character of fruit with a real sense of harmony and balance.
Bottle 6 x 75cl6cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl4cs
(Simon Field MW - BBR Buyer)
Rich, intoxicating, complex and exotic! Really restrained for a New World blockbuster, this has the sophisticated complexity and hedonistic creamy finish of its founding father, Ch. Mouton-Rothschild. A very rewarding two minute finish to boot. Not the cheapest South American wine but the best in my opinion.
(Simon Staples - Berrys' Fine Wine Director) Rich, intoxicating, complex and exotic! Really restrained for a New World blockbuster, this has the sophisticated complexity and hedonistic creamy finish of its founding father, Ch. Mouton-Rothschild. A very rewarding two minute finish to boot. Not the cheapest South American wine but the best in my opinion.
(Simon Staples - Berrys' Fine Wine Director)
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
2009 was an exceptionally easy year for the region - a perfect flowering, a hot and dry summer, cool nights and a healthy, juicy harvest have made for what the property describe as a pure, focussed, elegant wine with lovely, smooth tannins, a silky texture and exceptional balance.
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
This is a wine that simultaneously defines elegance and power. Complex aromas of blueberry, black currant, and black licorice. Full-body yet refined and beautiful with stunning length and complexity. It has a transparency that shows such greatness and beauty. Half the normal production. Has an energy and brightness. Chile's first perfect wine and well deserved. Better in 2020. 100 points, James Suckling, Sept16
2012
This is a superb red with currant, white truffle, sandalwood and stone. Full body, chewy tannins and a powerful finish. Turns to iodine. Gravel and hints of licorice too. Very, very long. This IS the La Mission Haut Brion of Chile. A phenomenal cabernet sauvignon. Needs at least five years to soften. 800 cases. Wait until 2018. 97 points, James Suckling, Oct14
2010
A racy cabernet with plum and dark berry character and hints of chocolate. It's full-bodied, with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Plenty of hazelnut and cherry character in the aftertaste. Give it three to four years of bottle age before opening. 95 points, James Suckling, Jun14
Fergus Stewart - Private Account Manager
Bottle 6 x 75cl19cs
The 2012 VIK somehow manages to be even more impressive than the exceptional 2011. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Carménère, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 2% Syrah, this wine has an intense, lifted nose dominated by blackcurrants. The palate however is beautifully fresh and succulent with layer upon layer of smooth, svelte fruit coming through. The tannins are in abundance, coating the mouth, but are pin-point fine resulting in a sense of suave sophistication. This is what ultra-premium, modern Chile is all about: exceptional concentration yet elegant with a juicy, refreshing character that brings harmony and balance to the endless finish. Drink 2018-2035+.
Catriona Felstead MW, Chile Buyer
A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Carmenere, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot & 4% Syrah. Opaque in colour, the nose is Rich, Cassis, Damson, Blueberry fruit with an attractive seam of earth, graphite, an almost Old world savoury hint that balances out the vanillin Oak. The palate is medium plus bodied in its richness but has a freshness and elegance that keeps the rich fruit lifted and buoyed up throughout the mid – end palate. Unlike other blockbusters from this area of the world, where the rich core almost seems like it has “concrete boots”, the Vina Vik has a polished fluidity, non-fatiguing on the palate, making you want to go back for more. Perfect with Drink now or keep easily for another 5 – 10 years. The quality & class, time spent on this can really be seen in the final product. 2018 - 2030”
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager
Bottle 6 x 75cl33cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl22cs
Doña Javiera has produced a smooth, plummy wine for us in 2015. Sweet raspberries and a hint of smoke add to the damson notes on the nose. The palate has good concentration with macerated red cherries coming to the fore alongside bramble fruit. The wine is warming but a leafy freshness balances out the whole. This is an easy-drinking, exceptionally fruit-driven wine which is eminently drinkable.