Wine Notes. The Society's Exhibition Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon These wine notes were created on 29-Apr-2021.

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The Society's Exhibition Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Fine, cedary Chilean cabernet made exclusively for us by the talented Ignacio Recabarren. This comes from excellent vineyards in two of the best Alto Maipo communes, Pirque and Tocornal. Ageing in barrel has softened the tannins and developed the aromas.

Product Code CE9001 Dominant Grape Cabernet Sauvignon

Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2016 to 2024

Origin Chile Alcohol Level 14.5%

Style Full-bodied Closure type Cork, diam

Vintage 2013 Price £ No longer for sale

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Producer : Concha Y Toro

Concha y Toro is the Penfolds of Chile, simultaneously producing some of Chile’s greatest wines in limited quantities (Don Melchor, Carmín de Peumo, Amelia, Maycas del Limarí Quebrada Seca Chardonnay, etc.) as well as large volumes of high-quality brands such as Casillero del Diablo.

Based at Pirque in the Santiago region, it is Chile’s largest vineyard owner, with over 6000 hectares of vineyards spread throughout the country’s many wine-producing regions. The company also buys in grapes of a similar quantity to that produced in its own vineyards. The diversity of soil types, climates, aspect and altitude has enabled the company to develop an impressive repertoire of grape varieties, each of which is sourced from vineyards best suited to its needs.

Concha y Toro has expanded almost beyond recognition from its humble beginnings in 1883, when liberal politician Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife Doña Emiliana cultivated their first vineyards from Bordeaux vine cuttings. After Don Melchor died, his son took over, and the 1930s saw the company’s first exports – to the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

In the 1950s, the Guilisasti family came on board, eventually taking over the majority share of the company in 1961. Under its direction, Concha y Toro gradually established its name through value-for-money, well-made varietal wines. From the end of the 1980s onwards, Concha y Toro led the way in boosting Chile’s export profile. A large part of their success was down to the development of a number of big wine brands, including the joint-venture Almaviva winery in collaboration with Mouton-Rothschild, launched in 1997. More recently, the company purchased vineyards in California in 2011, proving that it certainly hasn’t lost its thirst for new and exciting projects.

Concha y Toro has continued to develop and modernise over the past few decades and, with vineyard holdings from Limarí in the north to Bío Bío in the south, it is well placed to do so. Winemakers Marcelo Papa (responsible for Casillero del Diablo, Marqués de Casa Concha and Maycas del Limarí) and Ignacio Recabarren (responsible for Trio, Terrunyo, Amelia and Carmín de Peumo) have spearheaded an impressive rise in quality. Their winemaking skills and the great vineyard resources of Concha combine to make some of Chile’s best wines.

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Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This Victorian cabernet has classic cassis and tobacco leaf notes, a generous mouthfeel and a fresh herbal and blackcurrant finish. A great Sunday roast option, that will open up further with decanting.

Product Code AU21061 Dominant Grape Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin Victoria Alcohol Level 14.0%

Style Full-bodied Closure type Screwcap

Producer : Tahbilk Wines

Located 120km north of Melbourne in the Nagambie Lakes region of central Victoria, Tahbilk is a winery steeped in tradition, having a continuous winemaking history since 1860. The original cellars are still in use today and the

property is classified by the National Trust of Australia.

Tahbilk excels in the white Rhône grapes of marsanne, roussanne, viognier, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz as well as many other classic varieties. All are planted in premium cooler-climate sites covering around 200 hectares. Tahbilk claims to have the largest single holdings of marsanne vines in the world, with even older marsanne and shiraz vines than those in the Rhône itself. The excellent Tahbilk Marsanne has long had a dedicated following by members due to its complexity and ability to develop into the familiar honeysuckle fragrance and character traditionally associated with the variety.

The Purbrick family have been owners since 1927 and have been supplying The Society since the 1960s. Currently at the helm is fourth-generation Alister Purbrick, who is head winemaker as well as chief executive. In 2005 Tahbilk opened its substantial wetlands project which has helped to win it awards in for its wine tourism and environmental initiatives. Significantly, Tahbilk is also part of Australia’s First Families of Wine, a trade alliance of 12 family-owned businesses.

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Koyle Cerro Basalto Cuartel G2 Carmenere 2016

'One of the best carmenères I have tasted,' is the verdict of our Chile buyer, Toby Morrhall. 2016 is an excellent vintage at Koyle. Cerro Basalto is a hillside vineyard of low-fertility soil, hence the natural concentration, and is in a coolish spot for carmenère so this is ripe but fresh. A small percentage of cabernet franc contributes a cedary note to the flavour.

Product Code CE9931 Dominant Grape Carmenere

Style Full-bodied Closure type Cork, natural

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Producer : Viña Koyle

Koyle is the new project of the Undurraga family (Max, accounts, Alfonso, sales and Cristóbal, viticulture and winemaking), who have sold the company that bears their name and bought a lovely estate near Los Lingues, called Viña Koyle, in Alto Colchagua to make, principally, fine red wines.

They planted 50 ha in 2006/7 (cabernet sauvignon, carmenère, syrah, malbec, petit verdot, mourvèdre, tempranillo) and a further 30 ha in 2010 (cabernet franc, merlot, carignan, grenache, sangiovese and petit syrah) totalling thirteen varieties. The vineyards are at the base of some hills at 400-550m altitude in quite a windy situation, particularly in summer, where the maximum average temperature in the hottest month is about 26ºC. Annual rainfall is between 500-700mm and may allow some vineyard blocks to be “dry farmed” once the young vines have established deep roots. The soil is red clay over friable granite soils.

The vineyard faces north-west and is divided into three terraces. The bottom terrace has more clay and alluvial soils, while the middle and upper ones have decreasing proportions of clay and increasing amounts of stones and friable granite. The altitude gives a 2ºC difference in temperature.

The vineyard is currently undergoing a transformation to biodynamic viticulture. There is huge potential to make lovely wines here; Cristóbal, who lives in a house built on the property, has a real feeling for vineyards and viticulture and is also a very experienced winemaker, having worked in Australia at Rosemount with Phillip Shaw, in Bordeaux at Château Margaux with Paul Pontallier and in Mendoza for Kaiken with Aurelio Montes. The early stars have been carmenère and mourvèdre. One can sense great quality potential here.

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Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

The Coonawarra region is famous for producing wonderfully distinctive cabernet from its deep red soils. This glorious example offers blackberry, coffee and eucalypt aromas with firm tannins and concentrated black-fruit flavours on the palate. Great now (and a natural with roast beef), but this will age well too.

Origin South Australia Alcohol Level 14.5%

Producer : Leconfield

This Coonawarra estate is home to the Hamilton family – one of the original winemaking families in Australia – and has long been renowned for its cabernet sauvignon.

It was Richard Hamilton who founded the family estate in 1837, beginning with vineyards just south of Adelaide, and over 175 years and five generations later it is another (Doctor) Richard Hamilton who is in charge of the Hamilton family wines.

Their Coonawarra vines lie in the heart of the region and occupy 44 hectares in total. The soils – terra rossa (red-brown loam) over limestone – are particularly suited to cabernet sauvignon, as is the maritime climate of dry summer days and cool nights, which meteorological data suggests is similar to that of Bordeaux.

As well as cabernet sauvignon, which makes up the majority of plantings, there is also some cabernet franc, petit verdot, merlot and shiraz, as well as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and riesling for white wine production. The vineyards here are managed by the talented Bendt Rasmussen, who has over 20 years of experience working in Coonawarra vineyards. The wines are made by Paul Gordon.

After fermentation in French oak, the cabernet sauvignon spends around 17 to 19 months in oak barrels, around half of them new. The family also produces a cabernet called Warner’s Corner, coming from a specific site in

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Kooyong Estate Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2015

This is an extremely focused, bright and serious modern Australian chardonnay. Kooyong are masters of this style, and their 2015 Estate wine has enticing green-apple and lemon aromas, a tight refreshing and citrusy palate, and flinty notes on the finish. Excellent.

Product Code AU19141 Dominant Grape Chardonnay

Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2016 to 2019

Origin Victoria Alcohol Level 13.0%

Style 2 (of 9): Dry Closure type Screwcap

Producer : Kooyong

The Kooyong estate was established in 1995 on the cool, ocean-influenced Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. The vineyards were acquired by Giorgio and Dianne Gjergja in 2004 and all the wines are now made at their state of the art, eco-friendly winery, restaurant and hotel complex at Port Phillip Estate nearby.

They are part of the new generation of winemakers shaking up the Australian wine industry by crafting wines from old vines in cool-climate sites with a focus on terroir, elegance and balance rather than exuberance or power for their own sake. Glen Hayley is winemaker here, having taken over from Sandro Mosele. The results are very fine indeed. Kooyong own three pinot noir vineyards (Haven, Meres and Ferrous), each with their own specific terroir. Haven Vineyard is surrounded by trees which protects the vines from the cold sea breezes and as such boasts the mildest climate.

Great care is taken in the vineyard with canopy management to control vigour and crop thinning to increase fruit quality and concentration, and the grapes are hand harvested. Sustainability is a key objective and only natural fertilisers and ecologically acceptable pest and disease control practices are employed in the vineyards while water reclamation systems are in place to turn waste water into irrigation.

All fermentations are spontaneous, using only ambient yeasts, and the reds are unfiltered before bottling. Some whites are also bottled unfiltered, but all are unfined.

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Lenton Brae Wilyabrup Chardonnay 2013

The grapes for this wine come from the sub region of Wilyabrup within Western Australia's Margaret River. The grapes are harvested by hand and pressed straight to French oak barrels for fermentation. Gun-smoke notes on the complex nose, while concentrated apple, lemon curd and flint on the palate last on the long finish.

Product Code AU19581 Dominant Grape Chardonnay

Origin Western Australia Alcohol Level 14.0%

Style 2 (of 9): Dry Closure type Screwcap

Producer : Lenton Brae

Bruce and Jeanette Tomlinson established Lenton Brae in the Margaret River region in 1982 after a chance conversation with Bill Pannell, owner of the famous Moss Wood winery.

Impressed by the experienced Pannell’s assessment of a piece of Moss Wood land that was being sold, Bruce, an architect and town planner, bought it and decided to try his hand at viticulture. In 1983 he planted 10 hectares chardonnay, semillon, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, all classic Margaret River varieties, on the slopes of a small hill at Wilyabrup. The soils are generally gravelly loam on a base of clay, restricting vigour and allowing the vines to drain easily but giving them a moisture retaining layer to encourage the roots to delve deep. Yields are kept low.

The name Lenton Brae comes in part from this higher ground, ‘brae’ being a Scottish term for a hill, and Lenton being the name of a district of Nottingham from which one of Bruce’s ancestors emigrated to Australia in 1882.

The first commercial harvest took place in 1987 and was vinified at another local winery before Bruce designed and built his own in 1988. Early wines made people sit up and take notice of the newcomer, winning awards locally, particularly at the prestigious Perth Royal Show in 1992.

Sadly, Bruce passed away in 2014 but the estate had by then forged a formidable reputation for its wines and will surely go from strength to strength with Bruce’s winemaker son Edward in charge.

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Maycas del Limari Quebrada Seca Chardonnay 2014

Quebrada Seca, about 25km from the coast on the northern bank of the Limarí River, is a cool spot with a high limestone content in the soil and is producing the best chardonnay in the area. Barrel fermented with mainly used barrels, this is very fine and mineral, and improves with bottle age.

Product Code CE9761 Dominant Grape Chardonnay

Style 2 (of 9): Dry Closure type Cork, natural

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Producer : Concha Y Toro

Concha y Toro is the Penfolds of Chile, simultaneously producing some of Chile’s greatest wines in limited quantities (Don Melchor, Carmín de Peumo, Amelia, Maycas del Limarí Quebrada Seca Chardonnay, etc.) as well as large volumes of high-quality brands such as Casillero del Diablo.

Based at Pirque in the Santiago region, it is Chile’s largest vineyard owner, with over 6000 hectares of vineyards spread throughout the country’s many wine-producing regions. The company also buys in grapes of a similar quantity to that produced in its own vineyards. The diversity of soil types, climates, aspect and altitude has enabled the company to develop an impressive repertoire of grape varieties, each of which is sourced from vineyards best suited to its needs.

Concha y Toro has expanded almost beyond recognition from its humble beginnings in 1883, when liberal politician Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife Doña Emiliana cultivated their first vineyards from Bordeaux vine cuttings. After Don Melchor died, his son took over, and the 1930s saw the company’s first exports – to the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

In the 1950s, the Guilisasti family came on board, eventually taking over the majority share of the company in 1961. Under its direction, Concha y Toro gradually established its name through value-for-money, well-made varietal wines. From the end of the 1980s onwards, Concha y Toro led the way in boosting Chile’s export profile. A large part of their success was down to the development of a number of big wine brands, including the joint-venture Almaviva winery in collaboration with Mouton-Rothschild, launched in 1997. More recently, the company purchased vineyards in California in 2011, proving that it certainly hasn’t lost its thirst for new and exciting projects.

Concha y Toro has continued to develop and modernise over the past few decades and, with vineyard holdings from Limarí in the north to Bío Bío in the south, it is well placed to do so. Winemakers Marcelo Papa (responsible for Casillero del Diablo, Marqués de Casa Concha and Maycas del Limarí) and Ignacio Recabarren (responsible for Trio, Terrunyo, Amelia and Carmín de Peumo) have spearheaded an impressive rise in quality. Their winemaking skills and the great vineyard resources of Concha combine to make some of Chile’s best wines.

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Lenton Brae Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

A pure and herbal-scented cabernet typical of the Margaret River region. This wine will age gracefully over the next few years softening and developing more leather notes, but retaining its pure cassis core.

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Gandolini Las Tres Marias Vineyards Maipo Andes Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Top-quality Chilean cabernet from Alto Maipo. The 2013 vintage, a little richer than the maiden 2011, is soft and plummy with a wonderfully caressing, velvety texture. Aged 21 months in barrels. Beneath the puppy fat is a firm structure which will allow this wine to mature beautifully.

Product Code CE8971 Dominant Grape Cabernet Sauvignon

Style Full-bodied Closure type Cork, natural

Producer : Gandolini

Stefano Gandolini is a remarkable man. He was born in Chile in 1966 and straddles many different cultures. He is bilingual in Italian and Spanish, and speaks fluent French and English. He has travelled all over the world to work and study and has absorbed many different influences. He has a degree in Agronomy from the Universidad Catolica in Chile, a Masters in Oenology from Piacenza, Italy, and an Oenology degree from Bordeaux University. He completed his studies with work experience, including Ch Cos D’Estournel in 1994, Ch Pavie 1994/5, Louis Latour in Burgundy 1995, and Robert Mondavi in California in 1996.

Having previously worked for Doña Paula in Argentina, Viña Vista Mar and Santa Rita in Chile, he now is winemaker and managing director of GVV Terroirs, which stands for Gandolini, Ventolera, a property in Leyda making excellent cool climate pinot and sauvignon blancs, and von Sibenthal, a property in Aconcagua making a number of wines from red varieties including carmenère.

In 2014 he launched his first wine made from vineyards owned by his family, Gandolini Las Tres Marias Vineyards Maipo Andes Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.

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Lenton Brae Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Lenton Brae's 2010 cabernet is aged in 60% new French oak and shows the lift, freshness and restraint that Margaret River's cabernets are famous for. Delightfully smooth and elegant with finely judged tannins.

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