Viña Morandé, House of Morandé 2019

Pablo Morandé founded Viña Morandé in 1996, with the same vision for the future and audacity that drove him, years earlier, to be the first person to plant vines in the now world-renowned Casablanca Valley. Since its inception, Viña Morandé has grown into one of Chile's leading and most respected wineries, who are really pushing the boundaries of what this country can produce and putting fine Chilean wines on the map. House of Morandé is the estate's flagship wine and the 2019 vintage is made from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carignan and 2% Syrah; all the grapes came from the San Bernardo vineyard, which sit at the feet of the Cerro Chena (Chena hill) in the heart of the Maipo Valley. The grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted (with only the very best making the cut) before being aged in French oak for 18 months, and then in bottle for 2 years, prior to release. Garnet red in colour, it has an intense nose of raspberry, blackcurrant, bell pepper, graphite, tobacco and chocolate. The palate is big, powerful and perfectly balanced; exuding all the elegance, precision and deliciousness of some of the best Bordeaux blends we've had the pleasure of tasting.