Why Piedra Sagrada is the best Cabernet Sauvignon you've never heard of

At a time when everything is a curated projection of a fictional self, it’s no wonder that we’re increasingly seeking a true sense of connection and a glimmer of humble authenticity – in wine as in life.

It was a genuine sense of connection – transcending individual narratives and fragile egos – that I experienced when I sat down with Marco António Pérez Ramirez of Piedra Sagrada, to taste through the project’s five vintages released so far.

Upon tasting the wines, amazement and wonder added to the intrigue: it turned out I was about to taste some of the most distinct, characterful – and overlooked – expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon I had ever come across. And certainly one of the most memorable wines of the more than 1,200 I assessed in 2025.

But how did this small, unassuming unicorn come to be? It turns out this is a story about much more than wine.

Harvest underway at Viña Arturo Pérez Rojas | Courtesy of the producer

Tragedy and resilience

Piedra Sagrada is the brainchild of Arturo Pérez Rojas, now the name of the 3.8hectare plot the prominent Chilean agricultural engineer and oenologist planted in 2000. Born in Santiago, Pérez Rojas became Chile’s Secretary of State for Viticulture in 1970, a post created by newly-elected president Salvador Allende.