Alto Vuelo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Maipo Valley, Chile 75cl

Alto Vuelo is a Maipo Valley label built around Chile’s calling card, Cabernet Sauvignon. The Gran Reserva sits at the more ambitious end of the range, made to show what the country’s most planted red grape can offer with a little extra time in oak.

Maipo Valley, spreading south and east of Santiago towards the Andes, is the historic heartland of Chilean Cabernet. Warm days, cool mountain nights and free-draining soils suit the variety well, giving wines with ripe fruit and a firm, savoury frame. This is pure Cabernet Sauvignon, with no other grape in the blend. In Chile, ‘Gran Reserva’ is not a legally fixed term, but producers generally reserve it for their more serious bottlings, usually with a longer spell in barrel.

The 2016 vintage gives a wine that is drinking well now, with fruit that is ripe without being heavy. It is made in a style to enjoy over the next year or two rather than to lay down for the long term, so there is no need to hold on to it.

Expect cassis and dark plum on the nose, with a leafy, cedar edge picked up from oak ageing. The palate is medium to full, the tannins ripe and gently gripping, and the finish carries that trademark Cabernet savouriness. A short spell in the decanter helps it open and soften, and it is best served at a cool room temperature, around 17 degrees.

If you enjoy the structured, blackcurrant style of Maipo Cabernet or an everyday claret, this is a comfortable fit. Serve it with grilled red meat, lamb or a wedge of hard cheese, ideally with a little air first.