Montes Coleccion de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2020
Full-bodied red wine crafted with a focus on varietal typicity, structural balance, and integrating classic Chilean fruit purity with sophisticated oak aging. · Viña Montes is one of Chile's premier and most pioneering wineries, founded in 1988 by Aurelio Montes, Douglas Murray, Alfredo Vidaurre, and Pedro Grand. Known for their iconic angel logo symbolizing protection and spiritual connection to the vineyards, Montes helped put Chilean wine on the global luxury map, particularly with their famous icon wine 'Alpha M' and 'Folly' Syrah. They are celebrated for sustainable farming, planting vineyards on steep hillsides previously thought uncultivable, and crafting wines that consistently over-deliver in quality.
Vintage: The 2020 vintage in Chile's Central Valley experienced a warm and dry growing season, leading to early harvesting in many areas. The resulting wines feature concentrated fruit flavors, ripe and supple tannins, and excellent depth while retaining adequate freshness thanks to cool night-time temperatures.
Type
Full-bodied red wine crafted with a focus on varietal typicity, structural balance, and integrating classic Chilean fruit purity with sophisticated oak aging.
Producer
Viña Montes is one of Chile's premier and most pioneering wineries, founded in 1988 by Aurelio Montes, Douglas Murray, Alfredo Vidaurre, and Pedro Grand. Known for their iconic angel logo symbolizing protection and spiritual connection to the vineyards, Montes helped put Chilean wine on the global luxury map, particularly with their famous icon wine 'Alpha M' and 'Folly' Syrah. They are celebrated for sustainable farming, planting vineyards on steep hillsides previously thought uncultivable, and crafting wines that consistently over-deliver in quality.
Country
Chile is a leading New World wine producer uniquely sheltered by the Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atacama Desert to the north, and Antarctica to the south. This natural isolation has kept Chile free from phylloxera, allowing many vines to grow on their own rootstocks. Chile combines Old World structural elegance with New World fruit purity.
Vintage
The 2020 vintage in Chile's Central Valley experienced a warm and dry growing season, leading to early harvesting in many areas. The resulting wines feature concentrated fruit flavors, ripe and supple tannins, and excellent depth while retaining adequate freshness thanks to cool night-time temperatures.
Region & Appellation
Colchagua Valley, Central Valley, Chile. Colchagua Valley is renowned for producing some of Chile's most structured, powerful, and age-worthy red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère, benefiting from warm days and cooling evening breezes from the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains.
Grape Varieties
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, showcasing the grape's classic expression in Chile with dark berry fruit, eucalyptus or mint nuances, and firm yet accessible structural tannins.
Color & Appearance
Deep ruby-red color with a vibrant purple rim, showing medium-high extraction, good clarity, and slow-moving legs that hint at moderate-to-high alcohol and concentration.
Aroma Profile
Intense and complex aromas of ripe cassis, black cherry, and blackberry, complemented by signature herbal hints of eucalyptus, tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, and well-integrated vanillin and toast from oak aging.
Tasting Notes
A rich and harmonious palate opening with opulent dark fruit, transitioning into a structured mid-palate with notes of spice and cedar, and finishing long and persistent with smooth, polished tannins that invite another sip.
Flavor Profile
Dominated by ripe blackcurrant, black cherry, and plum, layered with savory notes of dried herbs, graphite, sweet tobacco, mocha, and subtle baking spices from oak barrels.
Body & Texture
Full-bodied with a lush, velvety texture and a solid core of ripe tannins that provide a substantial yet approachable mouthfeel and a generous, warming finish.
Acidity & Tannins
Medium-plus acidity provides freshness to balance the rich fruit profile, while the tannins are ripe, fine-grained, and plentiful, offering a structured grip without astringency.
Sweetness Level
Dry, with negligible residual sugar, balanced naturally by ripe fruit extraction and alcohol warmth.
Alcohol Content
Approximately 14.5% ABV, typical for a ripe, full-bodied Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from a warm vintage, adding warmth and body to the palate.
Aging & Oak
Aged in French oak barrels for a significant portion of the maturation process, imparting subtle notes of vanilla, clove, and toast while allowing the fruit and terroir characteristics to remain prominent.
Food Pairings
Ideal with grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops with rosemary, venison stew, empanadas filled with seasoned beef, and aged hard cheeses like Manchego or aged Cheddar.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at 16-18°C (60-64°F) in a large Bordeaux glass. Decant for 30 to 45 minutes before serving to allow the aromas to fully open up. Enjoy now or over the next few years.
Price Range
Approximately $20 to $35 USD, offering exceptional value for a premium, family-collection tier wine.
Quality Assessment
Rated around 90-92 points by major wine critics, representing a super-premium tier offering high consistency, great complexity, and remarkable value for money.
Production Methods
Hand-harvested grapes from selected vineyard blocks, destemmed and crushed, traditional fermentation in stainless steel tanks with controlled temperatures, extended skin maceration for optimal color and tannin extraction, followed by barrel maturation and gentle filtration before bottling.
Terroir
Alluvial soils featuring a mix of clay, sand, and rounded river stones, benefiting from a Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool nights caused by cold air descending from the Andes, ensuring slow and even ripening.
History & Heritage
Viña Montes revolutionized Chilean winemaking by prioritizing hillside vineyards and low yields over high-volume flatlands, earning global acclaim and proving that Chile could produce world-class fine wines.
Interesting Facts
Founder Aurelio Montes was one of the first winemakers in Chile to plant vines on steep, challenging hillsides, believing that struggling vines produce better wine. The iconic angel symbol appears on all main Montes bottles, which founder Douglas Murray placed there for good luck and protection.
Cellaring Potential
Drinking well upon release, this wine has the structure to age gracefully for 5 to 8 years, gradually developing more tertiary earthy and leather complexity.
Similar Wines
Concha y Toro Don Melchor, Almaviva, Errazuriz Don Maximiano, and Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon.