Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Located in the Aconcagua Valley, northwest of Santiago, the Errazuriz vineyard benefits from the refreshing influence of the Pacific Ocean and the protection of the Andes Mountains. The plots designated for the Max Rouge cuvée are situated on well-drained slopes, with alluvial and colluvial soils combining gravel, sand, and clay, promoting a slow and balanced ripening of the grapes. This temperate coastal terroir helps preserve a beautiful aromatic freshness while offering excellent concentration, a signature of Errazuriz's red wines.
The grapes are harvested at perfect ripeness, then sorted before cold pre-fermentation maceration. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump-overs to extract color and tannins, followed by post-fermentation maceration adapted to the desired profile. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, a proportion of which are new, to refine the structure, add aromatic complexity, and integrate the tannins, before bottling at the estate.
This wine reveals notes of ripe black fruits, cherry, and plum, enhanced by hints of violet and dried rose, as well as spicy nuances of black pepper and clove. Aging brings woody accents of vanilla, cedar, and chocolate. On the palate, the texture is ample and structured, supported by firm yet polished tannins, balanced acidity, and a persistent, fresh, and flavorful finish.
Where are we traveling?
Aconcagua Valley
It is located approximately 100 kilometers north of Santiago, in a spectacular valley named after Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas at 6,961 meters, whose eternal snows feed the river that carved this terroir. The vineyard stretches from the hot, arid heights of the valley's interior, protected by the Andean foothills, to the coastal hills of Aconcagua Costa, open to the cool Pacific breezes, forming a wine corridor with exceptional climatic amplitude. The viticultural history truly began in 1870, when Don Maximiano Errázuriz founded his eponymous estate in the Panquehue area, convinced that this warm, sunny valley could produce great red wines — a visionary gamble that would give birth to one of Chile's most emblematic estates. For over a century, Aconcagua remained synonymous with powerful, concentrated reds, until the discovery of Aconcagua Costa's potential in the early 2000s challenged all certainties: these granite hills, buffeted by sea winds and bathed in Pacific fogs, proved capable of producing whites and Pinot Noir of a finesse no one imagined possible in Chile. The climate ranges from hot and dry Mediterranean in the inner valley, where scorching summers are tempered by cool winds descending from the Andes, to distinctly cool and maritime on the coast, where temperatures rarely exceed 25 degrees in summer. The soils are equally contrasted, from the stony and clay-limestone alluvium of the interior to the decomposed granite rocks and quartz of the coast. Aconcagua Valley has forged a fascinating dual identity, producing on one hand monumental Cabernet Sauvignon and remarkably deep Bordeaux blends in the warmth of Panquehue, and on the other vibrant Sauvignon Blanc, chiseled Chardonnay, and elegant Pinot Noir on the windy slopes of Aconcagua Costa, embodying better than any other region Chile's ability to excel at both ends of the spectrum.
The little history of the country
Chile
It was Hernán Cortés who ordered the cultivation of vines upon the conquest of Mexico in 1524. It gradually spread from Mexico southward, reaching Chile in 1555. During the first three centuries of colonization, only país, a characterless and very productive black grape variety, was cultivated in Chile. It was not until the mid-19th century that noble varieties were introduced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, mainly. Twenty years later, winemaking was modernized under the impetus of wealthy landowners and French experts who had been forced out of work by phylloxera in Europe. Chile stretches 4,300 kilometers from north to south. It is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Atacama Desert to the north, and the Patagonian plains and glaciers to the south. These natural barriers prevented phylloxera from entering the country. Although the country is only 160 kilometers wide, it enjoys ideal conditions for growing grape varieties from warm, intermediate, and cool regions, so much so that it is often described as a vineyard paradise. With nearly 300 estates producing bottled wines, Chile ranks between 6th and 8th in the world.