Perez Cruz Visit 2012

So if any of you are following me on Twitter, you will probably know that I have just got back from a 10 day trip to Chile. I would start by saying it was a really great trip with only the monstrous flights being a downside. Via a number of blog posts over the next few weeks, I’ll bring you a selection of trip highlights.

First up, was a visit to Perez Cruz, once touching down and meeting my lift in Santiago.

This multi award winning family owned estate lies in the heart of Chile’s Maipo Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives here, delivering some, if not all, the country’s most fruit-filled and expressive examples. It all began in late 2000, with the first vintage released the following year. We’ve been working Perez Cruz for the best part of five years and, from day one, the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva quickly became one of the most popular wines in our range. This soon prompted us to develop the range, with the Syrah, Liguai and Winemakers Selection all becoming customer favourites.

So the day began with a fantastic tour of the winery, including climbing onto the roof, giving us a very impressive view across the whole estate. This made it easy for winemaker German Lyon to point out the subtle changes in terms of soils, topography and where and why each grape variety grows where it does. The winery is kitted out with all the latest winemaking equipment, a perfect cellar with a range of the best barrels from the world’s top coopers and a dedicated team that are up there with the best in the business.

The main purpose of the visit was to taste the new vintages, especially of our two exclusive releases – The Winemakers Selection and La Higuera Single Vineyard – to get the blends spot on and ready for bottling. Both wines are tasting fantastically. Deeply concentrate, with ripe primary black fruit character, well integrated oak and lengthy elegant finishes. I’m confident they’ll more than live up to expectations. Make sure you get your hands on some, I highly recommend them.

It was great to visit the team at Perez Cruz and get a real firsthand insight into where and how the wines are made. One thing stood out very clearly during the visit and that was the Perez Cruz philosophy. Every single bottle of wine they produce carefully reflects the local ‘terroir’ and is a true expression of Chile’s Maipo Valley. I’m looking forward to building on the great wines we currently sell from Perez Cruz and we’re already thinking about a new exclusive for next year, that’ll be influenced by the Rhône Valley. Watch this space.