Review: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Red Blend

When I began reviewing wines, back in 2007, I quickly recognized Chile as an outstanding region when it came to value. The Chilean wine industry has blossomed even further since then, and while there are still great values to be found, the quality, diversity and innovation coming from Chile give even more reasons to give their wines a try.

One thing you might not know about the Chilean wine industry is their focus on sustainability. A lot of wine producers around the world talk about sustainability these days and Chile has been a leader in many ways. Rather than just talk about sustainability, they got serious and specific when it came to establishing guidelines. In 2011, the Sustainability Code for the Chilean Wine Industry (SCWI) was established. The program has continued to grow since its establishment and now includes 351 specific sustainability requirements across the categories of viticulture, vinification and bottling, social responsibility and wine tourism. That’s a lot of detail!

You might think that only a handful of wineries would participate in such a program, but you would be mistaken. 80% of the wine exported from Chile comes from SCWI certified producers. The wineries are certified every two years by ECOCERT (France), NSF (USA) or SGS (Switzerland).

The wine I’m reviewing today comes from one of those wineries, Viña Tarapacá. Some of the sustainability practices at Viña Tarapacá include a biodiversity program in their vineyard, solar panels to provide some of their electricity and efficient irrigation techniques. Viña Tarapacá is also the first winery in Chile to install a mini hydroelectric plant, which provides up to 60% of the power consumed at the winery. This wine is made from organically grown grapes too.

All of that is great, but what amazes me the most is the quality of the wine itself. Simply put, it’s one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted.

Tasting Notes

This is a beautiful wine through and through. It’s a red blend with 31% Cabernet Franc, 26% Syrah, 22% Carmenere, 11% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess you could say it’s mostly a Bordeaux style blend with a touch of Rhône style from the Syrah.

It offers rich, complex and layered aromas, with herbal/floral notes like chamomile and violet at the top level, cherry and blackberry aromas as the foundation and spicy fragrances, like leather and nutmeg, around the edges. The mouthfeel is silky and smooth. The flavors are balanced and rich, featuring ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit. It has a nice vibrancy from the acidity. Rich blackberry flavors and tannins linger on the long finish.

Wine: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Red Blend
Varieties: 31% Cabernet Franc, 26% Syrah, 22% Carmenere, 11% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 93
Average price: $20.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.