VIK

The 2021 VIK blends 77% Cabernet Franc and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon from Millahue, with 10% aged in amphora. The nose is layered with red fruit, cassis and blackberry, plus marmalade, cedar, ash and garrigue. Juicy, crisp and fresh, the palate offers fine-grained tannins, black fruit and spice. Slightly mentholated on the finish, the 2021 is structured and full of nuance. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 95 Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous.com (Jun 2025)

Deep plum colour, a clear smudge of grilled brambled fruits, blackberries and damson, tar, olives, confident and vivid, mint leaf freshness from the Cabernet Franc gives a lift and shot of floral-tinged freshness that is welcome with the gourmet cocoa-dusted tannins. From vines planted first in 2006, first vintage 2010. Christian Vallejo winemaker (had previously worked at both Ch Margaux and Ch Berliquet in Bordeaux). 90% of the wine is aged in 'recycled' barrels (meaning that they make the barrels onsite from Sylvain staves sourced in France, toasted locally in Chile, while the remaining 10% is aged in locally-sourced clay amphora made by a Chilean artisan. Native yeast fermentation, 2.65ph, 3.6/l residual sugar. Tasted twice. On the Place since 2023 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Sept 2024)

The 2021 Vik is a blend of 77% Cabernet Franc and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Millahue in the Cachapoal Valley. Aged for 26 months in barrels and 10% in amphorae, this dark garnet wine reveals aromas of blackberry and raspberry, complemented by notes of ash, boldo, bay leaf and undergrowth, all set against a backdrop of cedar. On the palate, it is dry, delicate, and finely grained, with a juicy and vibrant mouthfeel that departs from the oxidative, tired style of the past. With the blend now excluding Carménère and increasing the proportion of Franc, the wine has shed its previous clingy and bold character. The 2021 vintage is precise, slightly compact and absolutely flavorful. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 96 Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous.com (Jul 2024)