Arboleda Cabernet Sauvignon, Aconcagua Valley (2022) 2022

Arboleda is the Aconcagua estate of Eduardo Chadwick, the producer who put Chile on the fine-wine map when his wines outscored Bordeaux's First Growths at the 2004 Berlin Tasting. The name means "grove" - a nod to the native forest that frames the vineyards, which are farmed sustainably and certified under Chile's national code. Aconcagua is a warm valley, but its better sites are tempered by altitude and the cool air drawn off the coast, letting Cabernet ripen slowly and hold its freshness. The fruit here is grown on stony hillside soils, and the wine spends fourteen months in French oak - a measured amount, enough to soften the tannins and add cedar and spice without burying the fruit. The result is a classically built Cabernet rather than a blockbuster: cassis, dark cherry and blackberry, with a savoury, herbal lift, a touch of tobacco and chocolate, and fine, lightly grippy tannins on a fresh, balanced finish. Medium-full and polished. Serve at around 16-18°C.