2021 Vina de VIK

Deep plum colour, a clear smudge of grilled brambled fruits, blackberries and damson, tar, olives, confident and vivid, mint leaf freshness from the Cabernet Franc gives a lift and shot of floral-tinged freshness that is welcome with the gourmet cocoa-dusted tannins. From vines planted first in 2006, first vintage 2010. Christian Vallejo winemaker (had previously worked at both Ch Margaux and Ch Berliquet in Bordeaux). 90% of the wine is aged in 'recycled' barrels (meaning that they make the barrels onsite from Sylvain staves sourced in France, toasted locally in Chile, while the remaining 10% is aged in locally-sourced clay amphora made by a Chilean artisan. Native yeast fermentation, 2.65ph, 3.6/l residual sugar. Tasted twice. On the Place since 2023.
94/100 Jane Anson

VIK 2021 (Cachapoal Valley; 23% Cabernet Sauvignon; 77% Cabernet Franc; 90% aged for 20 months in French oak barrels and for 6 months in ‘Barroir’ barrels, which are re-cycled and re-used after 3 uses from fresh staves and toasted with locally-sourced wood; 10% aged in similarly re-cycled and refreshed amphorae, ‘amphoir’; 14.5% alcohol; tasted with the commercial team from VIK; Christián Vallejo is the wine-maker; night-harvested to lock in the natural freshness). Spicy, exotic, very ‘VIK’. Clove, curry leaf, Szechuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, rose peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, plum (baked and fresh) and assorted dark and red berry fruits. Bramble and mulberry. Toasted brioche and naan. A little balsamic note, a touch of tomato purée, black tea leaf, a touch of lavendar. Mocha and grated ultra-dark chocolate. The oak a little more tempered than in previous vintages. A nice ample opening. Quite grippy tannins but that don’t significantly constrain the initial breadth, but which give this a lovely flow over the palate as it evolves. Very shapely and with quite a dynamic mouthfeel – the textures change, becoming more and more tactile. Quite limpid at first but the tannins pixilate this more and more towards the almost crumbly finish. Impressive structured and quite considerable. Chewy but always fresh. Remains just the right side of dry.
97/100 Colin Hay; The Drinks Business