2016 El Principal Andetelmo

Viña EL Principal belongs to the absolute top from South America - Chile and that is not surprising because the house was founded in 1993 by partners Jorge Fontaine Aldunate, owner of the El Principal estate, and Jean Paul Valette, French winemaker and former owner of the famous Premier Grand Cru Classé Château Pavie in Saint-Émilion. Today, the owner is the Said Sandal Family and the winery is of Chile's most exclusive and premium with only 4 wines, but a range of the highest quality wines that reflect the spirit and typicity of Chilean terroir. The hand, tradition and experience of the Valette family of Château Pavie is reflected in every element and the style (and choice of grape variety) has an inextricable Bordelaises St Emillion twist, but in the end that is not surprising given the background.

Located at the foot of the Andes Mountains in the Alto Maipo Valley (DO Maipo Andes), El Principal's terroir was perfect for their project; The unique combination of climate, soil type and altitude made it ideal for producing wines with character, unique identity and extraordinary quality.

El Principal is the most complex and elegant blend, based on Cabernet Sauvignon. It represents the history and personality and uniqueness of the terroir. It shares the winery's name because both reflect the spirit and nobility of the native leader Andetelmo, whom the Spaniards called "El Principal" (the boss), the owner of the lands where the vineyards now grow.

Although the composition of El Principal has varied over the years, the aim has always been to make wine of the highest possible quality, made entirely from grapes grown in our own terroir. In recent vintages, small amounts of Petit Verdot have been added to the final blend to give it greater acidity and freshness.

Since the launch of the first vintage (1999), El Principal has been internationally recognized as one of Chile's ultra-premium wines, achieving high scores in the major wine press and enhancing Chile's potential as a designation of origin for high-quality wines.

The 2016 vintage is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot which was aged for 18 months in new French oak and then aged for 2 more years before the wine was released.

The vineyard is located 750 m above sea level. A bit similar to, for example, Nappa Valley. The cold ocean has a very big influence and the vineyards. The winds, the fog, moist air, the protection of the Andes mountains and the altitude cause great differences between day and night and this contributes to the extremely high quality of the fruit that can grow almost without intervention on the sandy loamy soils of alluvial origin.

The El Principal Andetelmo has Maipo character but with a clear Bordeaux twist. So power, tannins, fruit and elegance. In the nose red and dark fruit such as berries and blackberries with a hint of licorice, autumn leaves and a slightly earthy edge. The soft, smooth palate has a ripe, fleshy texture and lots of rich flavors of dark berries. The wine has a minty and balsamic twist and a polished taste and is medium to full boedid with fine tannins. It is powerful yet elegant and balanced. Definitely decanting in his younger years.