Errázuriz Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

At first glance, we could say that all the freshness and radiance of this Don Maximiano has to do with the vintage, a cold year that, at the best cases, has produces very red, very juicy wines full of vibrant acidity. But it could also be due to the work that winemaker Francisco Baettig has been doing with this wine since he took charge of it in 2004. It’s slow work to restore this wine’s former style (the label has been around since the 1930s) – much more focused on fruit and freshness, with earlier harvests and limited use of new oak barrels. In fact, this is the first time Baettig has made a Don Maximiano with just 13.5° alcohol. And that shows. It’s a delicious red wine with herbal tones and pure, sharp acidity, a wine that’s ushering in a new era in the history of this classic Chilean label. Score – 97. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2019)