EDITORIAL

It was, as always, a great pleasure to visit Chile in April 2025 to taste and write this latest edition of the Alistair Cooper MW by Catad’Or Wine Guide. Tasting more than 1,000 wines over three weeks and holding 60 meetings with producers made for a busy yet hugely enjoyable and instructive trip.

Whilst I understand the importance of blind tasting and the impartiality it ensures, it is also equally valid to meet producers and taste in situ, in the country and with the winemakers and winery owners. This allows a real and complete understanding of the projects and the wines. This context and immersion not only enriches one’s understanding and viewpoint, but also allows a more thorough and rigorous comprehension.

It has been another tough year for the wine industry, not just in Chile but globally. The same issues of falling consumption, rising cost of living and, of course, production costs — for many exacerbated by the recent tariff increases by the US government. Yet there are always opportunities around the corner and, like all other industries, this is a cyclical one and things will improve. As always, I hope that the wine guide can help producers increase visibility and create opportunities to market their wines, by showing the neutral endorsements it provides.

I continue to be impressed by the rate of change and progression in Chile, something I remark upon every year I visit. There is so much passion and innovation among the winemaking community, especially the inspiring younger generation who are making great strides. Alongside this, there is now a wealth of knowledge and also a stronger sense of working together, which is vital for the future success of Chilean wine on the world stage. I would like to highlight just a few of the most exciting developments in Chile at present.

Carménère finally seems to be coming of age in Chile, and it is quite possibly the variety that has shown the most progression over the past five years, now offering a wealth of viable and varied styles throughout the country. It has not always been an easy path, and as we now know it is a grape that requires great precision in both vineyard and winery to express itself fully. Far from being a mere blending partner for Cabernet Sauvignon, it is the monovarietal examples that are really impressing — not only from Colchagua and Cachapoal, but increasingly from Maipo and Maule as well. This year truly exemplified the progression of this grape.

Sauvignon Blanc is another of Chile’s high-flying grape varieties. Regional typicity is becoming clearer and more marked, and it continues to perform extremely well. Upon returning to the UK after tasting for the guide, I spent two days tasting New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and was left with the impression that Chile offers better value for money and greater overall consistency — hugely impressive, and an opportunity to be capitalised upon.

Cabernet Sauvignon remains, without doubt, the emblematic flagship grape of Chile and continues to demonstrate why the country possesses some of the world’s greatest terroirs for this superstar variety. We saw so many elegant Cabernets — wines that will drink well in their youth yet still possess great ageing ability — and Maipo continues to shine as an exceptional region for this stalwart grape.

There has rightly been a buzz about the southern regions of Chile, from Maule down through Itata, Biobío and Malleco, over the past decade. Here, a wide range of grapes are performing well and adding diversity to Chile’s wine scene: Carignan, País, Cinsault and Malbec among the reds, and Moscatel, Chardonnay and Sémillon among the whites. Further north, in Elqui, Limarí and Huasco, there are also very exciting developments in this fascinating terroir, with Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir all standing out.

Climate will always be a hot topic in Chile, with drought being one of the main issues the industry has faced this century. Yet heavy winter rains over the past two years have helped to alleviate this. Vintage 2025 in Chile began positively with water reserves replenished; a relatively cool and cloudy spring was followed by a hot and challenging summer. Obviously, this is a generalisation, but overall the results look promising, despite the harvest being slightly earlier than usual.

Despite the challenging global situation, the future looks very bright for the Chilean wine industry in terms of quality, innovation and dynamism. As always, I will be doing my best throughout the year to help promote these wonderful wines, and I hope that the guide will also serve producers well as a tool to reach markets and to convey to buyers and consumers alike the impressive level of quality. I am fortunate to taste wines from all over the world, and my annual tasting for the guide is the highlight of this, as I witness such impressive change and meet such great friends and peers as well. Finally, thank you again to my colleagues and partners at Catad’Or, without whom none of this would be possible — especially to my fellow taster Pablo and the irrepressible Sofía.


Alistair Cooper MW

Published Wines