Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Casas del Bosque continues its meteoric rise and spate of 90+ point ratings with this month’s feature, the 2017 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, which has earned 92 point ratings from both James Suckling and Descorchados. Redolent with the savory scents and flavors of blackberry, cassis, and plum, and adeptly infused with touches of dark chocolate, cedar, mint, and tobacco, the 2017 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Grand Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon positively sings from the glass. Ripe tannins provide backbone and lift as well as staying power. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest affording this Cabernet Sauvignon at least 30 minutes of aeration in a decanter before serving at cool room temperature (60° F). Anticipated Maturity: 2019-2025. Enjoy!

In Chile, prime cuts of beef, lamb, and pork are the preferred accompaniments to the country’s premier Cabernet wines, which include the 2017 Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. Prime rib of beef au jus with organic Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and roasted green beans; herb encrusted beef tenderloin served over twice fried pommes frites; and wild boar served over tagliatelle pasta with sautéed vegetables all provide delicious traditional accompaniments to this Cabernet Sauvignon. For something more typically North American, consider pairing Bison meatloaf, a tasty combination of grass fed bison prepared with a mushroom demi-glaze and served with seasonal vegetables, with Casa del Bosque’s 2017 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. For a tasty vegetarian pairing, Sweet Potato Quinoa, a heart healthy mélange of roasted sweet potatoes, red quinoa, brown rice, spinach, goat cheese, and walnuts with a handcrafted BBQ sauce provides another memorable accompaniment. Buen Provecho!

Casas del Bosque is on track to become the most lauded Chilean winery of the decade. Each successive wine release from this boutique winery raises the bar to which other wineries can only aspire. Should anyone be surprised? Casas del Bosque has continuously pushed the envelope on quality through excellent vineyard management, site selection, and meticulous attention in the cellar since springing to life in 1993.

Located just 50 miles from Santiago, Chile’s capital, and 18 miles from Valparaiso, Chile’s colorful principal port, Casas del Bosque is a family boutique winery, whose mission is the production of the highest quality wines. By all accounts, including an enviable string of 90+ point ratings from world renowned critics, Casas del Bosque is not only fulfilling its mission, it is setting the standards of excellence among Chile’s premium producers in Casablanca and Maipo Valleys. This boutique operation cultivates its own vineyards in the Casablanca Valley, the preferred place for premium white wine production and cool climate red varietals. 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 reveals itself in each of this property’s prodigious wines, and it earned Casas del Bosque the distinction of Chilean Winery of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London two years in a row (2013 and 2014).

Presently, Casas del Bosque has more than 500 acres of vines under cultivation, 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 Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon red wines emanate from the warmer Rapel and Maipo valleys. The winery’s Gran Reserva and Pequeñas Producciones (very limited productions) are Casas del Bosque’s ultimate luxury offerings.