Chile's New Releases: Growing Diversity and Rising Quality

I tasted more top-notch Chilean wines this year than ever before, and at all price points. From racy Sauvignon Blancs that have been catching the lion’s share of the wine trade’s attention to high-end Bordeaux- and Napa-inspired Cabernets and Cabernet-based blends to exciting new Pinot Noirs and Syrahs, there’s something of interest for every palate. Even better, pricing almost always easily beats the country’s competition except for a few outstanding but very ambitiously priced trophy wines that are targeted at cult wine collectors.

However, Chile continues to face the daunting challenge of being taken seriously as a source of world-class wines—rather than just a reliable fount of inexpensive and even commodity-level bottles. The country has made headway in the last few years but still has a long way to go.

2015 Chile-Early Autumn in the northern, coastal Limari Valley