Adding the Montes wines to our portfolio in 2014 was the realisation of a long-held ambition following many years admiring what Aurelio Montes was achieving in Chile. The winery was founded in 1987 by the visionary quartet Aurelio, Douglas Murray, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand. Aurelio explains, “Our philosophy was simple - to produce excellent quality wines at a level which didn’t exist in Chile at the time.”
Aurelio Montes is widely credited with pioneering Chile’s quality revolution. His ability to identify potential in previously unknown sites, has led to the creation of appellations which now produce some of Chile’s finest wines. The Colchagua Valley is a perfect example of this. Aurelio first came to the area in his 20s and became fascinated by the then-barren landscape of Apalta, where Montes are based today. Apalta translates to ‘poor soils’, referencing the area's alluvial soils comprised predominantly of sandy loam and clay, as well as granite on the steep hillsides. Though a difficult environment for traditional agriculture, Aurelio sensed its potential for high-quality grape growing. Starting in these vineyards, he applied a rigorous, quality-focused approach to farming, resulting in low yields and perfectly ripe fruit.
Since the 1990s, Montes have made some of their finest red blends in Apalta, including ‘Folly’ and ‘Alpha M’. The ‘Folly’ Syrah is sourced from a single parcel known as ‘Finca Apalta’ on Apalta’s highest, steepest slopes. ‘Alpha M’, which hails from the same site, is a classic Bordeaux blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Both wines offer different but equally complex interpretations of Apalta. Since the 90s, the estate has campaigned extensively for the area to receive DO status, which was finally achieved in 2018.
Aurelio also blends Apalta fruit with sites in the greater Colchagua Valley. The ‘Purple Angel’ blends Carménère with a little Petit Verdot from exceptional sites in Apalta and Marchigüe. The resulting deeply flavoured, structured red has received 98+ points from James Suckling in its last three vintages. Just 25 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, the landscape of Marchigüe is much flatter than in Apalta, with vineyards planted on clay soils with excellent water retention. Montes also produce the ‘Taita’ Cabernet Sauvignon from vines in this coastal area.
Montes Alpha
The Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, first produced in 1987, broke the mould for premium wines in Chile. It was a modern expression of a classic grape which illustrated that Chile could produce wines that stood shoulder to shoulder with competitors around the world. Since then, Alpha has gone from a single wine to being the core range of Montes’ portfolio. The grapes and sites are carefully selected each year to ensure varietal integrity and complexity. Viticulture is hands-on and individual rather than mechanical and industrial.
The Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sites are irrigated via a ‘Sustainable Dry Farmed’ system, developed by Aurelio and his team, which allows for extremely precise and minimal irrigation, reducing their water footprint by 65%. This approach reduced yields and resulted in smaller bunches and berries, resulting in wines with deeper colour and more depth, flavour and structure.
These wines offer superb value within the premium wine market, whether from Chile or elsewhere. The Alpha Chardonnay is ripe and melony, while the Pinot Noir, sourced from grapes grown in Apalta and Marchigüe vineyards close to the coast, is fragrant and supple, a classic expression of cool-climate Pinot. The fuller reds, which need greater ripeness, are all from Colchagua where Aurelio Montes has long been a pioneer. The Merlot is ripe and fleshy, while the Cabernet is full yet refined. The Carmenère has plenty of tobacco aromas with supple and fine-grained tannins, while the Malbec is a superb example of this variety from Chile.
