2006 Viñedo Chadwick

100% Cabernet Sauvignon (picked 19–29 April) planted at 670 m above sea level. TA 5.6 g/l, pH 3.56, RS 2.16 g/l. Slower ripening period than usual followed by a warm April led to wines with ripe and well-rounded tannins. Hand picked and sorted by hand. Total maceration time was 28–35 days. Stainless-steel fermentation, three pumpovers per day. Aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Bottled 28 February 2008. Complex array of aromas on the nose. Very neat and fresh with a peppery grace note. Lots of fresh tannin and a certain hint of fermented blackcurrant-pastilles. Lots of vigour and potential. (JR)

The 2006 Vinedo Chadwick has a surprisingly backward, primal bouquet of blueberry and cassis that develops attractive floral notes with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a brine-tinged entry. The tannins are firm rendering this not as smooth or as harmonious as the 2004, with an austere, dry tobacco finish. Drink now-2017. It was a pleasure to spend two or three hours in the company of Eduardo Chadwick at his estate and undertake verticals of his wines. Few have done more to promote Chilean wine than him, most notably with his blind comparisons with First Growth to demonstrate that Sena stands shoulder to shoulder with Old World icons. As you might guess, we had a long debate about that! But also, we engaged in a long discussion about viticulture and the philosophy behind his portfolio. Readers may remark on my relatively mean scores. I thought long and hard about this. But I firmly feel that recent vintages from Errazuriz completely outshine the older ones and speaking at length with winemaker Francisco Baettig, there is a sense of a winery changing tack and in my opinion, what this estate will produce in the next twenty years will completely surpass the previous twenty years. Importer: Vintus Wines, Pleasantville, NY; www.vintuswines.com

100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 18 months in barriques. Dark, bright crimson. Lustrous ruby rim. Very light nose but this is probably a policy decision to distance it from the fruit bombs. Some cassis and just a hint of tar. Very sweet, smooth palate entry and the tannins have completely evolved. Very slightly Margaret River-like. A lovely drink already. (JR)