South American Cabernet Sauvignon: setting the standard

Seemingly immune to passing trends, Cabernet Sauvignon remains the king of red grapes. In fact, while Syrah, Pinot Noir and Malbec have been busy making headlines, Cabernet Sauvignon has become the most commonly planted red variety in the world, with about 341,000ha under vine globally (OIV 2017).

When it comes to single varietals and red blends based on Cabernet Sauvignon, many wine lovers instinctively think of Bordeaux and Napa Valley – not least for the exorbitant prices some of their wines can command.

However, South America is now also producing examples that are beginning to turn collectors’ heads.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the wines setting the standard for South American Cabernet Sauvignon

Drawing on a long history of producing Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Argentina and Chile have become rising powers in the fine wine field.

Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile

Winemaking in Chile owes a lot to Cabernet Sauvignon. In the 1980s, it established itself as the premium red, opening the doors to major global markets and becoming the most popular vine for planting in Chile. Today, its 41,000ha account for one third of the country’s vineyards.

Over the past three decades, Chile has been best known for offering excellent value for money, but it is now earning genuine admiration for some of its premium Cabernets and Bordeaux blends.

‘Cabernet Sauvignon has been our speciality for the past 120 years, and now we’re finally able to show it,’ says Aurelio Montes, a pioneer of high-end winemaking in Chile.

The new Cabernet Sauvignon scene in Chile follows a revolution in how terroirs are being identified, resulting in parcels being selected by wineries specifically for premium wines. This is coupled with better vineyard management and more precise, terroir-driven oenology.

All things considered, it’s probably about time to forget what you thought you knew about Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.

A new chapter

There’s no doubt that Maipo will always be the leading region when it comes to Cabernet in Chile, but Maipo is a big place and, to produce the best, winemakers have to be specific. ‘Until a few years ago, people would just say Maipo, but today we need to be more precise about our vineyards. Maipo isn’t all the same,’ says Marcelo Papa, winemaker at Concha y Toro. ‘For example, in Puente Alto, where our Don Melchor vineyard is, you also find a number of other very important vineyards. It’s our Pauillac. The elegance of the vines there is a class apart from other areas.’

Top-class Cabernet Sauvignons here are generally concentrated in Alto Maipo, in the Andean foothills, where the vineyards begin to climb the slopes. Here, Pirque and Peñalolen are the sub-regions that set the tone. The high altitude and mild climate make for a refined texture among reds, which tend to be tense and linear. ‘Alto Maipo is a place where one can make great wines of elegance and drinkability that used to take years in the bottle to achieve,’ says Rafael Urrejola, who produces Altazor, Undurraga’s star wine, with grapes from Alto Maipo.

Further south, Apalta and Marchigüe have recently burst onto the high-end Cabernet Sauvignon scene, but with more modern profiles. Apalta is a corner of Colchagua where Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted at the foot of the mountains are achieving top results. ‘Cabernet from Apalta has improved a lot in recent years. We’re no longer looking for the potency we sought before; we’re now more interested in the clarity of fruit flavours you can get in the region,’ explains Andrea León, who has just launched a Cabernet Sauvignon for Lapostolle sourced from 100-year-old vines at the Clos Apalta vineyard.

In Marchigüe, the key is the vineyards’ proximity to the Pacific Ocean, where cooler climates, combined with granite soils, give life to Cabernet Sauvignons with sparky red fruit flavours and striking minerality. Prime examples include wines made by Calcu or Dagaz.

Finally, Maule is writing its own new chapter in the history of Chilean Cabernet, especially in Cauquenes, where Odfjell produces a vibrant, refined example ideal for those looking for something off the beaten path.

Argentina: iconic wines

‘Until about 25 years ago, all of Argentina’s iconic wines were Cabernet Sauvignons or Bordeaux blends. We grew up with the flavour of Cabernet held up as what a great wine should be,’ says Andrés Vignoni at Viña Cobos, where special effort has been put into the variety.

In Argentina, about 14,500ha are under vine with the grape (Wines of Argentina), making it the country’s third most cultivated red variety. Many Argentinian oenologists believe that a great wine ought to begin with Cabernet Sauvignon. The goal is to produce single-varietal wines and Bordeaux blends that show the grape at its best.

Distinctive qualities

Cabernet Sauvignon has always developed unique characteristics in Argentina. Vineyards where the variety is grown are planted at anything between 400m and 2,590m above sea level, in a dry, sunny, continental climate. These conditions ensure that the grape can ripen without the greenish pyrazines and fresh herbal notes that can be found in other regions. Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignons thus tend to be overflowing with fruity aromas, have good minerality (thanks to the alluvial soils) and develop a fleshy structure that facilitates longevity.

‘The experience we’ve garnered exploring new regions for Malbec has lent us greater understanding of Cabernet as well, especially its sensitivity,’ says Alejandro Vigil at Catena Zapata. ‘We’ve been able to greatly modify how we manage the vineyards and harvest times to take full advantage of the identity brought by each region.’ The result of these changes can be appreciated in the rising quality of Cabernets from traditional regions, such as Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley in Mendoza and the Calchaquí Valleys in Salta.

Argentina produces three distinct styles of Cabernet Sauvignon that should be of great interest to fans of the Médoc and Napa Valley. Classic profiles can be found in Agrelo and Perdriel in Luján de Cuyo, where the rocky, deep clay soils give rise to silky, chewy wines with a juicy freshness. Excellent examples are produced by Catena Zapata, Viña Cobos, Pulenta Estate and Terrazas de los Andes.

The Uco Valley offers interesting twists on the formula, depending on the composition and altitude of the soils. Tupungato, where vineyards are higher, provides exponents with good body, fruit and herbal depth. Los Arboles, a cool area, produces voluminous textures with sharp acidity, mineral notes and generous helpings of berries.

Finally, La Consulta, to the south of the Uco Valley, has always stood out for its old vines planted in dried rocky river beds. In Cabernet Sauvignons from here, the grape’s characteristic fruitiness is marshalled with flinty vigour.

Further north, the Calchaquí Valleys have long been well known for their Cabernet Sauvignons. Produced from extreme high-altitude vineyards, between 1,650m and 2,590m, the variety takes on a fresh, herbal profile that, when well handled, delivers distinctive wines of exquisite power.

Iglesias’ picks: the wines setting the standard for South American Cabernet Sauvignon

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