Home > Producer Profiles > Chilean Profiles > Valdivieso

Valdivieso

Valdivieso is one of the longest established names in Chilean winemaking, with the first release of Valdivieso wines being in 1887. These were sparkling wines, made by the founder of the business, Alberto Valdivieso. Alberto was influenced by the time he spent in Paris as a youth, when he favoured champagne from Veuve-Clicquot. For decades sparkling wine remained the mainstay of the business, but during the 20th century Alberto also began to produce still wines. In 1949 the business was bought up by the Mitjans group, which produces a vast array of wines and spirits for consumption mainly on the domestic market.

In recent years international sales of Chilean wines have begun to take off, and Valdivieso have exploited this new market with a good range of varietal and single vineyard reserve wines from their Lontué and Maipo vineyards. As with many other New World producers, however, once an international market for their wines had been established Valdivieso saw an opportunity for an upmarket premium label, and this led to the creation of Caballo Loco.

Caballo Loco

Caballo Loco, meaning 'Crazy Horse', however, is different. The usual approach to making a premium wine may include pinpointing a suitable vineyard that produces higher quality fruit than other sites, reducing yields, more rigid selection of fruit and perhaps increasing the use of new oak and the duration of oak maturation. Jorge Coderch, however, decided to do something slightly different. Coderch is the winemaker behind Caballo Loco, and he is also the inspiration for its name, for he has long been known as a 'caballo loco'. He has essentially introduced a solera system, similar to that used in the production of sherry, to produce a sequence of non-vintage premium wines. These wines are designated by numbers, commencing with Caballo Loco Number 1; not only is the vintage an unknown, but so is the encépagement, as Coderch keeps the blend of varieties used a closely guarded secret.

When Caballo Loco Number 1 was made, only half was released, whereas the rest was retained for blending with future wines. Consequently Number 2 was a blend of the new harvest with some of the retained Number 1. Some of Caballo Loco Number 2 was retained, and this was subsequently blended in the making of Number 3, and so on. By the time Number 5 is released, it will contain wine from at least five vintages, and although the amount of older wine becomes gradually smaller and smaller it should add greater and greater complexity. (22/8/01)

Contact details:
Address: Juan Mitjans 200, Macul, Santiago
Telephone: +56 (0) 2 381 9200
Fax: +64 (0) 2 381 9269
Internet: www.valdiviesovineyard.com

Valdivieso - Tasting Notes

Click to locate stockists.

1998

Valdivieso Malbec Single Vineyard Reserve (Lontue) 1998: Again dense and youthful purple in colour. This wine has lots of fruit on the nose, with obvious coffee and more subtle chocolate notes. On the palate there is a soft, rounded and delicious texture, another glycerol-laden wine. Pleasing tannins and correct acidity. The sweet fruit persists through the finish. Almost by a process of exclusion this has to be the Malbec. 16/20 (January 2002)

Valdivieso Merlot Single Vineyard Reserve (Lontue) 1998: A slightly more dense purple colour. This has real stink on the nose, with aromas of rubber, marmite and later earth hiding the fruit, which is there. This has a firmer texture than the previous wines, with good tannins. Again soft acidity. Typical spice, chocolate and fruitcake flavours mark this as the Merlot. Good texture, and a sweet and unassuming finish. 16/20 (January 2002)

Valdivieso Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Lontue) 1998: Although the most densely coloured wine in this flight, this wine has a touch more elegance than the other offerings. There is a restrained minerality to the red and black fruit aromas on the nose, before it closes down somewhat. On the palate, though, there are some more prominent tannins and a weight of big, sweet, stony blackcurrant fruit. The tannins really come through on the finish. This wine would be fine drunk with food, but really needs another six to twelve months in bottle to tame those tannins a little. 16/20 (January 2002)

Valdivieso 'V' Malbec (Lontue) 1998: This is a glossy wine, fairly bright in colour, but less dense than the other two wines in this flight. Dusty fruit on the nose, with an earthy, vegetal streak. This is a big, powerful and flavoursome wine, with an abundance of tannin and glycerol evident in the palate. There's a sweet, buttery-crumble edge to the blackberry fruit. This wine needs time, and has some potential. 16.5/20 (January 2002)

1997

Valdivieso Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Lontue) 1997: A dense purple. Quite classy on the nose, with smoke and stony fruit. Very big and structured on the palate, provided by a core of tannins that buoy up a mass of black fruits, which have developed more of that stone and mineral complexity. 16/20 (January 2002)

Valdivieso Cabernet Franc Single Vineyard Reserve (Lontue) 1997: A fairly deeply coloured, purple wine. A nose dense and rich with sweet fruit, with some notes of blackcurrant leaf and other greenery, very much suggesting Cabernet Franc. Unsurprisingly sweet, black fruit gum flavour on the palate, with a green, tobacco edge. Soft tannins, soft acidity and some glycerol. A sweet and spicy finish. Plainly Cabernet Franc. This mild greenness would put many drinkers off. 14/20 (January 2002)

1996

Valdivieso Malbec Reserve (Lontue) 1996: Initially lots of toasty oak. Develops vegetal notes and some plummy fruit, but comes into its own after several hours, with aromas of delicious roasted herbs. An elegant forepalate leads into a toasty oak midpalate, with rather simple but plentiful fruit, a rich, glycerol texture, and a tannic backbone, quite drying with a note of chewy, tarry fruit on the finish. 14/20 (March 2001)

Non-Vintage

Caballo Loco is a non-vintage but numbered cuvée. I have ordered my tasting notes first by cuvée number, and then by most recent tasting note.

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 5 (Lontue) NV: It's been a little while since I last tasted this premium cuvée from Valdivieso. Over two years a little has changed in terms of colour, which has faded from a youthful, glossy, purple to a glossy red-black hue. At first it makes no great impression, but this wine needs time to open out. Jammy red fruits deepen, developing into sweet, smoky, blackcurrant character with an edge of chargrilled meat. Medium bodied, with lovely extract, and an earthy, sweetly ripe, slightly brawny character to the fruit. And best of all, balance and elegance - good qualities indeed. Still a little tannin through the midpalate so will improve over two to three more years without doubt, and should drink for longer than that. A real pleasant surprise here. 17/20 (May 2004)

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 5 (Lontue) NV: This wine has a dense, but bright and glossy purple hue. Sweet blackcurrant fruit on the nose, with a youthful coffee aroma. The palate, has power, some structure, but is fairly sweet and simple at this stage. Nevertheless the structure belies a clear resemblance to the previous wine, and this has to be the Number 5. There is lots of youthful glycerol, oak, balanced acidity and tannin. Has some potential. 16/20 (January 2002)

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 4 (Lontue) NV: This is the most richly coloured of the three, with a glossy, saturated purple-black hue. On the nose we have plenty of jammy blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, with a seam of fat, vanilla, butter and toast from the new oak, and a suggestion of roasted herbs. Perhaps, bearing in mind the increased planting of the variety in Chile in recent years, there is some Syrah in the blend? Nevertheless, on the palate we have some elegant although lush blackcurrant fruit. Again lots of extract, with a luxurious texture and soft acidity making this a poor food wine. What soft tannins there are show up on the peppery finish and length. As with the previous wine I would say this is predominantly a Bordeaux blend, possibly with a good amount of Syrah making up the balance. 17/20 (August 2001)

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 3 (Lontue) NV: This has thrown more sediment than the other wines tasted. It has a similar glossy red-purple hue, although it is somewhat more deeply coloured. There are more typically Chilean aromas here, with the minty blackcurrant fruit dominating, but there are nuances of truffles and chocolate. It doesn't have the abundance of berry fruits seen in Number 2, despite the fact that Number 2 accounts for 50% of the blend in Number 3! A richer, more weighty wine on the palate, with a more youthful profile. A strong backbone of tannins, with soft but sufficient acidity, and a velvety texture which carries some powerful black summer fruit flavours and notes of bitter chocolate. A clean finish with a tannic length. I would say this wine is predominantly a Bordeaux blend. 17/20 (August 2001)

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 2 (Lontue) NV: A glossy red-purple hue. A gorgeous and expressive nose, at first giving off aromas of chocolate, cherries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, which suggested to me that there may be a good dollop of Pinot Noir in the blend. After half an hour this seems to close down, leaving just some smoky, toasted oak and hints of blackcurrant fruit, before it opens out again to reveal lots of elegant, mineral and stone blackcurrant, with more than a passing resemblance to a young left bank claret. Medium bodied with plenty of extract, the palate has a layer of smoke and minerals covering an abundance of sweet blackcurrant fruit that lasts right through to the finish. Firm but subtle tannins, with low acidity. A pleasure to drink, but not a great food wine. 17/20 (August 2001)

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 1 (Lontue) NV: Great, densely mature hue. Perfumed, gravelly fruit on the nose. Full, dense, meaty-gravelly palate. Black fruits, with a savoury, weighty presence. Balanced, grippy finish and a full, tannic structure showing through the midpalate. This is by no means at peak, despite some previous bottles which have seemed more gentle and mature. Lovely. I look forward to opening my remaining bottles. 16.5+/20 (August 2004)

Valdivieso Caballo Loco Number 1 (Lontue) NV: This has more age, evident by the tawny edge this red-purple wine has developed. Sweet fruit on the nose, with a vegetal and earthy edge. The palate has some coarse, confected, sweet and sugary fruit pastille flavours at first, changing with aeration to a more typical silky, glossy fruit profile. There's still plenty of tannin showing on the finish, and a touch of power too. Drinking quite well, however, with a bit of time in the glass. 16/20 (January 2002)