Speaking of New World wines, you already know that many wineries have taken the quality to the next level and have vividly captured the uniqueness of the Chilean vineyard. There are some, however, that have entered the sphere of excellence and are a station for the wine production of the region. Montes Purple Angel, from the Montes winery, also belongs to this "station" category and the 98pts from James Suckling, just confirm it.
The winery was founded in 1987, originally by Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray. The two became the beacon of Chilean wines since they were the creators of the first premium wine exported from the country, Cabernet Sauvignon. Then, with new plantings, they became pioneers in the cultivation of new varieties and opened the way for many other producers in the region. From then until today, they fully understand and take advantage of the sensational location of their vineyards, located in the Colchagua Valley, an area between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, which, simply put, has the right climate and combined with the soil, it is the holy grail for creating world-class wines.
Purple Angel consists of 92% Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot harvested by hand when the grapes were optimally ripe. The grapes are transported in 10 kg trays, which ensures perfection and prevents their injury during transport. After strict selection, the best fruits are soaked for 5-7 days, while fermentation with selected yeasts lasts 15 days. The wine stays in contact with the grapes, absorbing all the unique elements to gain extra body and complexity. After de-stemming, 80% of the wine is transferred to new French oak barrels and 20% to second and third-use barrels. It stays there for about 17 months and creates a rare harmony between fruit, vanilla, and cedar aromas.
You don't want and shouldn't miss this masterpiece, just remember to decant it into a carafe and pretend you forgot about it for about an hour before enjoying it.
