Montes Classic Series Central Valley Merlot 2023
£10.75
The wine
Bright ruby red, with fresh red cherry and raspberry to the fore, notes of blackberry and red plum, and toasted aromas from time in French oak.
Merlot from Colchagua, in the Central Valley. Chile spent decades believing much of its Merlot was Merlot; DNA testing in 1994 revealed a large part of it was in fact Carménère, a Bordeaux variety thought extinct after phylloxera. Hand selected, crushed and cold macerated at 10 degrees for two days before fermentation on selected yeasts.
The producer
Montes
View all Montes winesFounded in 1988, Montes helped redefine what Chilean wine could be, proving the country capable of world-class quality. From humble beginnings it has grown into one of Chile's most admired and internationally recognised producers, celebrated for ambition, consistency and a pioneering spirit.
Montes draws on carefully chosen sites across Chile's finest regions, from the warm slopes of Colchagua and Apalta to the cool, coastal Aconcagua Costa and Leyda. The estate farms sustainably and champions gravity-flow winemaking and hillside planting, always seeking greater elegance and freshness.
The portfolio climbs from the bright, everyday Classic Series and cool-climate Limited Selection through the polished Alpha range to a trio of icons: the acclaimed Carménère-led Purple Angel, the single-vineyard Folly Syrah and the flagship Bordeaux blend Alpha M, with the rare Taita at the summit.
Confident, generous and impeccably made, Montes wines combine ripe Chilean fruit with genuine finesse. Whether an easy midweek red or a cellar-worthy icon, each bottle reflects the vision and quality that made Montes a benchmark for the New World.
