Chile is arguably one of the greatest sources of value wine you can find on shelves in the United States, and “legend has it” that in spite of declining sales in recent years, things are finally starting to “look up.” In 2024 overall U.S. exports rose 12.5% and bottled wine exports jumped more than 25%.
Quality improvements, driven by strong 2021 and 2022 vintages, are reflected in “favorable reviews,” with the majority of “affordably priced” wines scoring 88 points or higher from Wine Spectator. That certainly highlights the impact of critical “acclaim” on marketability, but it makes “one wonder” if Wine Spectator is just playing fast and loose with their B+ or higher “grades” in order to “conjure up” a little “business.” Regardless, IT WORKED.
Now whether you actually believe that most Chilean wines in the $10-20 range are worthy of such scores comes down to a combination of how much you trust Wine Spectator, how delusional you are, and of, course, how good the actual wine is. But what we we can tell you is this — in our experience, value priced Chilean wine often does punch way above its proverbial weight class.
What does Chile have to offer?
Chile offers everything from zippy (LIKE THE PINHEAD) Sauvignon Blanc to bold, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon, along with a host of other varietals spanning the spectrum of quality. Luckily, most of them veer in the general direction of good and cost little more than a “copper” (or two).
Chile’s extreme geography is a winemaker’s fever dream (THE GOOD KIND), with the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west creating a long, narrow strip of “land” with incredibly diverse microclimates. This natural isolation has also “literally protected” Chile from many vineyard pests and diseases (THE BAD KIND), allowing producers to work with healthy, ungrafted vines. If you are familiar with the phylloxera epidemic, then you know ungrafted vines are rare in the modern world because those mangy little gizzard lickers munch vitis vinifera roots like candy. If you are unfamiliar with the phylloxera epidemic, then unfortunately, like most things in life, it’s too late to learn.
The geography, climate, and centuries of winemaking history come together in the “perfect storm” to yield goodly wines that can rival those from far more expensive regions. Wines we can thusly enjoy.
Why is Chilean wine a bargain?
One of the main “reasons” Chilean wines are often such a good deal is the country’s lower production costs. Land prices, labor, and overhead are significantly less expensive compared to places like Bordeaux or Napa Valley. At the same time, Chilean producers have invested heavily in modern technology and vineyard management, which allows for quality production at scale. As a result, many Chilean wineries also benefit from “economies of scale,” producing both entry-level wines that deliver incredible value.
For “wine drinkers,” this means Chile offers a “sweet spot” (the DRY KIND): bottles that taste more expensive than they are (aka “good”). Whether you’re grabbing a Monday morning Carménère or a structured red blend from Colchagua for your lunch break, you’ll often find yourself paying half of what you would for a wine of comparable quality from elsewhere.
In honor of you, we went ahead and tried some wines in the $0-20 range and “the results are in.”
2023 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley / $8
Profile: Lemon, lime, green pepper, green apple, grass, flint, sea shells Palate: Dry, (very) high acid, medium- body, medium finish
A little “simple” (LIKE ME), but extremely “zippy” (LIKE THE PINHEAD) as promised, incredibly high acid, bone dry, citrusy and fresh with some “green notes” (THE GOOD KIND!)
Profile: Ripe red fruits, plum, syrup Palate: Off dry, low tannin, medium acid, medium body, medium finish
Pinot noir is notoriously difficult to grow and produce quality wine from, which is why Pinot commands generally higher price points (the highest in the world, in fact, for the most reputable bottles). So when I saw a $9 bottle on the shelf at Whole Foods, I was cautiously optimistic (aka DUBIOUS). Well, as it were, this bottle was bad. Quite simple (pretty much nothing going on beyond “ripe red fruit”) and too much residual sugar. I was very disappointed, because I have had such good experiences rolling the dice on shockingly cheap Chilean finds, but this is a negative data point on this particular variety. I’d avoid it.
2021 Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon, Rapel Valley / $16
Profile: Tart blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, cedar, green pepper, licorice, hint of cocoa powder Palate: Dry, high acid, medium+ tannin, medium finish
A solid “value” Cabernet in the ~$15 price category with black and red fruits, a bit of cedar, spice, and a hint of Chile’s signature “green pepper.” The complexity, structure and concentration could have benefited from a bit of “improvement,” but this is much better than most domestic “offerings” in its price range. Remarkably, “generous James” scored this wine 92 points for what its “worth.”
While our scores are “a little shy” of what Wine Spectator led us to believe we’d encounter (shame on you, “Wine Spectator,” if that’s even your real name) “the majority” of these wines were solid value buys.
If you haven’t “explored” Chile, it’s time.
Until next time, HAPPY DRINKING PEOPLE.
Cheers!
Isaac & Zach
Tannic Panic! consumed Tylenol in the womb. SUBSCRIBE
