Casas del Bosque Maipo Valley Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Food & Wine magazine named the 2014 Casas del Bosque Maipo Valley Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon to its list of TOP 10 WINE VALUES OF THE YEAR 2015 – and for good reason. Casas del Bosque’s 2014 Gran Reserve Cabernet shames most other Cabernets costing two and three times the price. The wine’s dense ruby color, entrancing aroma, and deep lush flavors are craftily supported by smooth, ripe tannins. Notes of blackberry, kirsch, spearmint, and espresso bean ingratiate the nose, while blackcurrant, dark chocolate and savory cedar tones emerge in the mouth to delight the palate. Smooth, pronounced tannins provide a textured finish and add backbone, but little bite. How such a young Cabernet Sauvignon can offer so much pleasure and still have a decade of evolution ahead of it is a wonder to behold – perhaps one reason why Casas del Bosque has been awarded the prestigious award of “Best Chilean Wine Producer” for 2 consecutive years (2013 and 2014) at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, a well-deserved testament to this winery’s commitment to producing outstanding wine. Although gratifying from the moment it is opened, we suggest affording Casas del Bosque’s 2014 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon thirty minutes of aeration before serving at cool room temperature (60°-65° F). Enjoy!

In Chile, beef in almost any form takes center stage with that nation’s Cabernet Sauvignon. Seared Flank Steak prepared with a honey-lavender glaze, sautéed kale, and Butternut squash provides an ideal foil to the 2014 Casas del Bosque Maipo Valley Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. Prime Filet Mignon grilled over an open flame and served with a lightly coated wild mushroom sauce and creamy garlic mashed potatoes offers another superb complement. Equally compelling companions are Coffee Crusted Bison Filets. But if beef isn’t in your diet, consider Mushroom Wild Boar Sausage Ravioli or a delectable vegetarian option in a Spicy Four Bean Chili. Wood-fired rotisserie chicken with rosemary and garlic and a three cheese vegetarian lasagna prepared with a heady tomato sauce also offer delicious companionship to Casas del Bosque’s 2014 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy!

Chile continues to be a source of exceptional wines for quality, value and variety. This is due largely to the burgeoning number of boutique wineries such as Casas del Bosque that continuously push the envelope on quality through excellent vineyard management, site selection and meticulous attention in the cellar.

Casas del Bosque sprang to life in 1993 as a family boutique winery dedicated exclusively to the production of high quality wines. And by all accounts this boutique operation is ably fulfilling its mission, as the recent spate of 90+ point ratings from world renowned critics will attest. Casas del Bosque is located just 40 miles from Chile’s capital of Santiago and a mere 18 miles from Chile’s principal port of Valparaiso. This boutique operation cultivates its own vineyards in the nearby Casablanca Valley, the preferred place for premium white wine production. They also have significant vineyard holdings in the premier red wine producing valleys of Maipo and Rapel south of Santiago, areas noted for fashioning exceptional Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon. Casas del Bosque’s meticulous attention to vineyard management and careful site and varietal selection guarantee superior fruit for the winery’s portfolio of high quality wines. Such care has also earned Casas del Bosque the distinction of Chilean Winery of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London for two years in a row (2013 and 2014).

Presently, Casas del Bosque has approximately 500 acres of vines under cultivation, which are spread throughout Chile’s best viticultural valleys and microclimates. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling hail from the winery’s superb Casablanca holdings and form the backbone of the estate’s white wine portfolio. Exceptional Pinot Noir and Syrah are also cultivated by Casas del Bosque in Casablanca. Casas del Bosque’s exceptional ultra-premium Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère red wines emanate from the warmer Rapel and Maipo valleys.