Caballo Loco: Profile of a Chilean icon and 12 wines to try
A multi-vintage, multi-regional blend of different grape varieties, Caballo Loco broke the mould when it was launched by Viña Valdivieso in 1994. Julie Sheppard looks at its history and recommends wines to try, including the new Caballo Loco Blanco.
The name ‘caballo loco’ means ‘crazy horse’ in Spanish – and there was certainly an element of craziness to Viña Valdivieso’s flagship wine, when the concept was first conceived. ‘It breaks the paradigms of premium red wines,’ admits Caballo Loco co-founder Christian Sotomayor. Instead of choosing a single red variety from a prestigious single vineyard site, the Curicó-based winery created a blend that was a patchwork of grape varieties, regions and vintages.
‘The way we put it together was accidental,’ says Sotomayor, who is Valdivieso’s import and export director. ‘Different vintages were getting held back because of the logistics of the winery. Then we started playing with the new vintages too – putting them all together. We liked the 50:50 blend. So we bottled half and kept half back, starting a sort of solera system where we used a proportion of the existing blend as a base for the next blend.’
He adds: ‘It was an expensive experiment – but it was a lucky strike. The wine was accepted everywhere and sold out in 16 months.’
Scroll down to see Julie Sheppard’s top picks from the Caballo Loco series
That first release, Caballo Loco Number 1, was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir from the 1992, 1993 and 1994 vintages. It was created by winemaker Luis Simmian, who also blended Number 2.
French winemaker Philippe Debrus (now at Botalcura) took a hand in Numbers 3-5. Caballo Loco is not a yearly release – ‘on average it’s every 18 months’ says Sotomayor.
The New Zealand influence
New Zealand-born Brett Jackson (below) arrived in Chile 30 years ago and has been winemaker at Valdivieso since 2001. He worked alongside Debrus for Caballo Loco Number 6 and has created all of the subsequent blends.
‘Valdivieso was a sparkling house, so this venture into still wines was a big thing,’ remembers Jackson. ‘It’s a very unique style for Chile – and each bottling has a unique character,’ he says. ‘People are more accustomed to seeing a vintage on a label, so there’s a barrier we have to break through there,’ he says.
Jackson inherited the ‘solera’ referred to above, which is still used today. New releases combine 50% of this ‘reserve’ wine, with a blend of new vintages. Thus, the latest release, Caballo Loco Number 20, which is made with 50% Caballo Loco Number 19, will contain a percentage of wine from the original 1994 blend, now more than 30 years old.
‘The young wines are all aged separately for up to four years, rarely with more than 20% new oak,’ says Jackson. ‘My oak use has changed since we got a vapour cleaner – a steam cleaner for the barrels,’ he explains. ‘The steam cleaner gets barrels so clean. I used to throw barrels out after three or four years; now I can keep a wine in the same barrel for four years.’
He adds: ‘I don’t use US oak as I don’t like that coconut flavour.’ As for the reserve wines: ‘Some is stored in stainless steel, a little bit in concrete, also incorporating 3,000-litre foudres.’
Regional repertoire
The style of the blend has evolved over the years: from a full-bodied, rich red dominated by Cabernet or Malbec, to the current fresher style with increased acidity. In part this reflects changing international tastes and winemaking trends, but it’s also indicative of changes within the Chilean wine scene, as new varieties and new (or rediscovered) regions are being explored.
So for the first time, the Caballo Loco Number 20 blend contains Grenache and Tannat from Maule. There’s also dry-farmed Carignan from Maule (introduced for Number 17), plus the more long-running components: Syrah from Limarí, Carménère from Colchagua, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec all sourced from Curicó and a core of Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon.
Meanwhile, the Caballo Loco Grand Cru series, launched in 2010, drills down further into these specific terroirs, focusing on site selection and special vineyards. With cuvées including Limarí, Curicó, Apalta and Sagrada Familia (a sub-region of Curicó), the range gives a feel of the individual components that Jackson might use to weave the tapestry of his blend.
Caballo Loco Blanco
The latest addition to the range is Caballo Loco Blanco, an inaugural release of only 2,000 bottles. ‘It only took me seven years to put it together,’ quips Jackson, who wanted a white blend that echoed the style of the red, rather than a single-variety Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc as might be expected from Chile.
Inspiration came during a trip to Spain, when Jackson tasted aged white Riojas including Viña Tondonia and Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay. He liked the slowly oxidised but fresh style and thought he could adapt it, ‘based on what we have in Chile’.
The core of the blend is barrel-fermented Chardonnay from Limarí Valley, which spent five years in barrel, with lees stirring. But at the same time Jackson was also playing around with Moscatel from Itata. ‘We have to pay homage to those vineyards; they’re so much a part of Chilean history; it’s where Chilean winemaking started,’ he says.
‘Moscatel de Alejandria is a tough call – it has this phenolic edge. But if you put it into barrel for four years the tannins disappear and it becomes so rich, with oxidative characters.’ Jackson also experimented with Moscatel in amphora. ‘The flavours are nice, with no volatile character and it has an incredible dryness to it, which helps to off-set the sweetness of the Chardonnay,’ he explains.
The blend also includes old-vine Semillon from Curicó, which Jackson describes as ‘probably the most neglected variety we have in Chile’. Viognier, also from Curicó, adds a floral character. The blend has long, slow, gentle oxidative ageing and initially it was too rich, lacking the freshness Jackson had found in the white Riojas.
‘Working with the sparkling wines has helped me to understand acidity,’ says Jackson, who has been responsible for making Valdivieso’s sparklers since 2016. So he sought out other base wines with greater acidity. ‘A touch of Pinot Gris from Casablanca, with a really sharp acidity to it – I use it as a sparkling base. Plus a touch of Pinot Noir from Bío Bío, made as a blanc de noirs.’
Looking ahead
Jackson is already working on Caballo Loco Blanco Number 2, which will contain a proportion of Number 1, using the same solera system as for the red wines. At the Valdivieso winery, tasting samples for the second blend, he’s like a kid in a candy store; running around between barrel stacks, tanks and amphorae.
Channeling the skills of a chef, he describes the cellar as ‘my pantry’. We taste 2021 Chardonnay from Limarí in amphora, 2023 Chardonnay in barrel, Itata Moscatel in amphora (2021) and barrel (2019) and 2023 Semillon in stainless steel.
‘It’s an exciting time in Chile,’ states Jackson. ‘When I first got here we were like kids: we looked at mum and dad – aka France – for everything. Now we’re like a teenager: lots of confidence, doing our own thing. And there’s still lots to do,’ he adds.
What excites him most? ‘We’re recognising areas that we hadn’t looked at before. Now we’re playing around with vineyards in the south, Osorno, for sparkling wines,’ he says. ‘Pretty much all Semillon in Chile is old-vine – there’s been nothing new planted since the 1970s. I also work with a Cab Franc vineyard planted in 1900. The best vineyards are the ones that have survived: the vines can survive dry-farmed – old vines just ride through these hot summers.’
Caballo Loco Blanco Number 2 is pencilled in for release later in 2024. ‘It’s been really challenging but really satisfying to develop Caballo Loco Blanco. The concept behind it fits so well with Caballo Loco red. I’ll be interested to see how it evolves and what it looks like in 10 years,’ concludes Jackson.
Caballo Loco wines to try
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Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Blanco Number 1, Multi-appellation, Limarí Valley, Chile
Complex and harmonious aromatics: floral, tropical, toasted coconut, nougat and pineapple, with marmalade notes developing. The palate is rich but vibrant, with unfolding layers of flavour – buttery citrus, fresh pineapple, spicy orange peel, stone fruit and mandarin, with floral notes weaving through and savoury toastiness on the long finish. A mix of vintages, varieties and regions, this is the inaugural white Caballo Loco release. It's mostly Limari Chardonnay, with Pinot Gris, Muscat, Semillon, Moscatel de Alejandría and Viognier contributing the blend. Taken from the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages, varietal components are aged separately in a variety of vessels before blending. An impressive debut.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 7, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
This multi-vintage blend is comprised of 50% Caballo Loco Number 6 with 50% of fruit from the 2002 vintage. It's also a mix of regions and grapes: Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec from Curicó. Dark fruit aromas are overlaid with tertiary savoury notes of balsamic, undergrowth and dried herbs. Savoury, smooth and elegant, but still structured and bold – 'It's the sandy tannins that keep the palate interesting,' notes winemaker Brett Jackson. Layers of cassis, blackberry, damson, prune, spice and leather unfold onto a long, harmonious finish, that still shows good freshness.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 9, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
A blend of regions and grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Carménère from Maipo, Curicó and Colchagua – that also spans different vintages. Number 9 is composed of 50% Caballo Loco Number 8 with 50% of fruit from the 2004 vintage. Plenty of juicy primary black fruit still on the nose and palate – cassis, black cherry, blackberry, black currant fruit pastilles. Malbec adds florality to the aromatics. Fine, smooth tannins, fresh acidity and a lingering finish layered with dark chocolate, snappy dark fruit and hints of raspberry. 'It ages very elegantly,' says winemaker Brett Jackson – and I'd tend to agree.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 13, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
This multi-vintage wine is made up of a secret blend of regions and grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Carménère from Maipo, Curicó and Colchagua. Number 13 consists of 50% Caballo Loco Number 12 blended with young fruit from the 2008 vintage. Aromas of red fruit, with savoury notes of balsamic, black olive and liquorice. The palate seamlessly combines tightly structured black fruit and red cherry freshness with evolved savoury flavours of balsamic and autumnal undergrowth, leather and spice. Will continue to evolve.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 20, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
The current release of Caballo Loco is a fresher style than earlier blends. For the first time it includes Grenache and Tannat from Maule, alongside Maipo Cabernet, Limarí Syrah, Carménère from Colchagua, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec from Curicó and dry-farmed Carignan from Maule. As usual this is a multi-vintage blend, with the younger wines from 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages. At the moment it's fruit-forward, with aromas of brambly dark fruit and cherries, plus hints of spices. Elegant, rich and layered, the palate boasts appealing primary fruit – fresh blackberries, cranberry and cherry – with savoury hints of black olive and leather, plus fine, rounded tannins and a long finish. Will certainly continue to evolve in bottle.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 16, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
A generous blend of grapes, regions and vintages. For this release the varietal mix is Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère, sourced from sites across Maipo, Maule, Curicó and Colchagua. Half the blend is Caballo Loco Number 15, the other half comes from fruit harvested in the 2011 vintage. The wine spent 36 months in French oak (25% new) before release. Harmonious dark fruit aromas: berries, cherries, a savoury black olive note and fresh herbs. There's rich, chocolatey black fruit on the palate, with velvet-smooth tannins; mint and leather weave through. Good depth, with a long finish that's laced with black cherry conserve.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 17, Central Valley, Chile
Real exuberance of fruit here. There’s freshness of roasted pepper, fresh and dried fruit too, but also cedar, mushrooms and chocolate. A crowd pleaser!
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Limarí, Limarí Valley, Chile, 2021
This appealing Syrah shows great elegance; winemaker Brett Jackson adds a dash of Viognier to round out the fine tannins framing the powerful palate. Smoky bacon and floral notes wrap around rich black berries and black cherry aromatics. The palate is tense and crunchy, with a slight saline note, harmonious black and red fruit, ripe figs and chocolate. Somehow manages to be both serious and lifted – super!
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Sagrada Familia, Curicó Valley, Chile, 2021
Sagrada Familia is a warm area in Curicó ringed by mountains; old-vine Cabernet Franc planted here in 1900 makes up 70% of this blend. Really peppery aromas (black and white), plus notes of tobacco, beef consommé and attractive red fruit. The cooler 2021 vintage lends freshness and a nervy tension to the palate, with minty fruit, graphite, dark chocolate and white pepper, plus spice from two years in barrel. Firm but fine tannins and a long finish. Impressive.
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Apalta, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2021
This wine is all about richness of fruit,' says winemaker Brett Jackson. He's not wrong, but there's plenty more going on here too. A blend of 70% Carménère and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the former contributing herbal, smoky, rosemary and green pepper notes to the nose of black cherry and black berries. Plush fruit palate – plums, strawberries, blueberries – dusted with cocoa and spice. Smooth and rounded, but with a powerfully structured spicy dark fruit finish.
2021
ValdiviesoApalta
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Curicó, Curicó Valley, Chile, 2021
A poised blend of old-vine Malbec and Syrah that will certainly continue to evolve in bottle. For now it's showing black and blue fruit aromas, with hints of allspice and cinnamon. There's more spice on the palate, with ripe structured tannins, black berries and baked plums, plus hints of florality and a long finish.
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Maipo, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2021
From Maipo Alto in the foothills of the Andes, this is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. Red fruit aromas with hints of earthiness, herbs and dried fruits. Generous palate, but with tannic grip; notes of strawberry, ripe plum, herbs, spices and leather.
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Blanco Number 1, Multi-appellation, Limarí Valley, Chile
Complex and harmonious aromatics: floral, tropical, toasted coconut, nougat and pineapple, with marmalade notes developing. The palate is rich but vibrant, with unfolding layers of flavour – buttery citrus, fresh pineapple, spicy orange peel, stone fruit and mandarin, with floral notes weaving through and savoury toastiness on the long finish. A mix of vintages, varieties and regions, this is the inaugural white Caballo Loco release. It's mostly Limari Chardonnay, with Pinot Gris, Muscat, Semillon, Moscatel de Alejandría and Viognier contributing the blend. Taken from the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages, varietal components are aged separately in a variety of vessels before blending. An impressive debut.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 7, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
This multi-vintage blend is comprised of 50% Caballo Loco Number 6 with 50% of fruit from the 2002 vintage. It's also a mix of regions and grapes: Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec from Curicó. Dark fruit aromas are overlaid with tertiary savoury notes of balsamic, undergrowth and dried herbs. Savoury, smooth and elegant, but still structured and bold – 'It's the sandy tannins that keep the palate interesting,' notes winemaker Brett Jackson. Layers of cassis, blackberry, damson, prune, spice and leather unfold onto a long, harmonious finish, that still shows good freshness.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 9, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
A blend of regions and grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Carménère from Maipo, Curicó and Colchagua – that also spans different vintages. Number 9 is composed of 50% Caballo Loco Number 8 with 50% of fruit from the 2004 vintage. Plenty of juicy primary black fruit still on the nose and palate – cassis, black cherry, blackberry, black currant fruit pastilles. Malbec adds florality to the aromatics. Fine, smooth tannins, fresh acidity and a lingering finish layered with dark chocolate, snappy dark fruit and hints of raspberry. 'It ages very elegantly,' says winemaker Brett Jackson – and I'd tend to agree.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 13, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
This multi-vintage wine is made up of a secret blend of regions and grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Carménère from Maipo, Curicó and Colchagua. Number 13 consists of 50% Caballo Loco Number 12 blended with young fruit from the 2008 vintage. Aromas of red fruit, with savoury notes of balsamic, black olive and liquorice. The palate seamlessly combines tightly structured black fruit and red cherry freshness with evolved savoury flavours of balsamic and autumnal undergrowth, leather and spice. Will continue to evolve.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 20, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
The current release of Caballo Loco is a fresher style than earlier blends. For the first time it includes Grenache and Tannat from Maule, alongside Maipo Cabernet, Limarí Syrah, Carménère from Colchagua, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec from Curicó and dry-farmed Carignan from Maule. As usual this is a multi-vintage blend, with the younger wines from 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages. At the moment it's fruit-forward, with aromas of brambly dark fruit and cherries, plus hints of spices. Elegant, rich and layered, the palate boasts appealing primary fruit – fresh blackberries, cranberry and cherry – with savoury hints of black olive and leather, plus fine, rounded tannins and a long finish. Will certainly continue to evolve in bottle.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 16, Multi-appellation, Maipo Valley, Chile
A generous blend of grapes, regions and vintages. For this release the varietal mix is Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère, sourced from sites across Maipo, Maule, Curicó and Colchagua. Half the blend is Caballo Loco Number 15, the other half comes from fruit harvested in the 2011 vintage. The wine spent 36 months in French oak (25% new) before release. Harmonious dark fruit aromas: berries, cherries, a savoury black olive note and fresh herbs. There's rich, chocolatey black fruit on the palate, with velvet-smooth tannins; mint and leather weave through. Good depth, with a long finish that's laced with black cherry conserve.
ValdiviesoMulti-appellation
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Number 17, Central Valley, Chile
Real exuberance of fruit here. There’s freshness of roasted pepper, fresh and dried fruit too, but also cedar, mushrooms and chocolate. A crowd pleaser!
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Limarí, Limarí Valley, Chile, 2021
This appealing Syrah shows great elegance; winemaker Brett Jackson adds a dash of Viognier to round out the fine tannins framing the powerful palate. Smoky bacon and floral notes wrap around rich black berries and black cherry aromatics. The palate is tense and crunchy, with a slight saline note, harmonious black and red fruit, ripe figs and chocolate. Somehow manages to be both serious and lifted – super!
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Sagrada Familia, Curicó Valley, Chile, 2021
Sagrada Familia is a warm area in Curicó ringed by mountains; old-vine Cabernet Franc planted here in 1900 makes up 70% of this blend. Really peppery aromas (black and white), plus notes of tobacco, beef consommé and attractive red fruit. The cooler 2021 vintage lends freshness and a nervy tension to the palate, with minty fruit, graphite, dark chocolate and white pepper, plus spice from two years in barrel. Firm but fine tannins and a long finish. Impressive.
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Apalta, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2021
This wine is all about richness of fruit,' says winemaker Brett Jackson. He's not wrong, but there's plenty more going on here too. A blend of 70% Carménère and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the former contributing herbal, smoky, rosemary and green pepper notes to the nose of black cherry and black berries. Plush fruit palate – plums, strawberries, blueberries – dusted with cocoa and spice. Smooth and rounded, but with a powerfully structured spicy dark fruit finish.
2021
ValdiviesoApalta
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Curicó, Curicó Valley, Chile, 2021
A poised blend of old-vine Malbec and Syrah that will certainly continue to evolve in bottle. For now it's showing black and blue fruit aromas, with hints of allspice and cinnamon. There's more spice on the palate, with ripe structured tannins, black berries and baked plums, plus hints of florality and a long finish.
2021
Valdivieso
Valdivieso, Caballo Loco Grand Cru Maipo, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2021
From Maipo Alto in the foothills of the Andes, this is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. Red fruit aromas with hints of earthiness, herbs and dried fruits. Generous palate, but with tannic grip; notes of strawberry, ripe plum, herbs, spices and leather.
2021
Valdivieso
