It’s no great secret that Chile offers some of the world’s best value wines. We have extensively covered the country for the past several years and in that time the value and quality of Chilean wines has grown by almost every metric. Although everyone knows about its signature carmenere, new and exciting examples of syrah and grenache also abound. But when it really comes to squeezing exceptional value from goodness, nothing beats Chilean cabernet sauvignon.
Chile is known as a vine-growers paradise, with a wide array of different climatic subsections, soil types and altitudes. For world-class cabernet sauvignon, the modern hub is Puente Alto, just south of the country’s capital, Santiago. It’s where the likes of Viña Don Melchor and Almaviva do their magic, making some of the best and most expensive cab savs in the country.
Outside Puente Alto, in the larger Valle de Maipo region, quality cabernet sauvignon still reigns supreme but at much more affordable prices. The most interesting examples come from vineyards along the Andes Mountains, at altitudes up to 760 meters (2,500 feet) and growing in colluvial soils that are rocky and free-draining.
Working these sites is never an easy task, but the results speak for themselves: mineral and acid-driven cabernet sauvignons with excellent intensity and complexity. In Central Maipo, the soils are typically clay-based and more fertile, which generally leads to less complexity. Nonetheless, these wines have lovely depth and balance.
Half of our picks on this list come from Valle De Maipo, so you can taste for yourself what makes the region’s cabernet sauvignons so special.
Another reason for the improved quality of Chilean wines in recent years is the greatness of the 2018 and 2019 vintages. 2018 is our favorite of the two and gave us five of our picks below
Marcelo Papa of Concha y Toro told us that the 2018 vintage was “perfect” in terms of balance, delivering wines that embody elegance, precision and power. 2018 was also a bountiful vintage, with Sven Bruchfeld of Polkura winery in Colchagua saying “it was quality and volume coming together.”
2019 is still a great vintage, but it was hampered by only getting about half the average rainfall, or less, in certain areas. As Aurelio Montes Sr., the owner of Vina Montes said, “It was a dry spring with a lower yield, but the quality of the wine was very good – just not perfect.” The three wines listed below from the 2019 show well, with ripened fruit and harmony despite the challenges of the vintage.
Chile has cemented its status as one of the top Great Value wine countries by upping its winemaking game just about every year. The wines we’ve listed list below are all available for $25 or under, with the least expensive option just $10. It’s hard to argue with prices like that, and with scores all above 90. We hope this can act as a gateway into the vast and varied world of Chilean cabernet sauvignon, all without breaking the bank.
– Nathan Slone, Associate Editor
Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Apalta Cuvée Alexandre 2019 2019 – JS94
KLWines.com: $19.99
Wine.com: $22.99
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Chile Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Maipo Escudo Rojo Reserva 2019 – JS93
Wine.com: $17.99
Santa Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Colchagua Carolina Reserva 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $10.99
Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Maipo Marqués de Casa Concha 2018 – JS92
Sokolin.com: $17.99
De Martino Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Maipo Legado Reserva 2019 – JS92
Wine.com: $18.99
Errázuriz Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Aconcagua Max Reserva 2018 – JS92
Sokolin.com: $13.99
Wine.com: $15.99
Haras de Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Maipo Hussonet Gran Reserva 2018 – JS92
Wine.com: $14.99
Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Colchagua 2018 – JS91
Wine.com: $9.99
