Tasting note
Colour - Deep red/purple hues.

Aroma - Warming plum and damson notes.

Taste - Luscious black berries mingling with hints of cinnamon and blackcurrants and a soft finish.

	Type:Still Red Wine		Country:Chile		Appellation:Maule Valley
	Grape Type:Red blend		Drink Before:End of 2010		Body:Rich and Flavoursome
	Alcohol:13%		Bottle Size:75cl		Bottle Code:60450

Description
When it comes to perfect natural viticultural conditions, Chile was 'born' with a proverbial silver spoon in its mouth; "the favourable elements that Chile as a wine-producing country possesses are almost overwhelming, covering all the bases of terroir, climate, grape varieties, technology and finance" writes Steven Spurrier in Decanter.

In the lush Maule Valley, the vines benefit from warm, sunny days, cool nights, and natural irrigation coming from the Andean snowmelt - ideal growing conditions for healthy grapes with superb purity of fruit. In light of the stunning 2007 vintage there, the grapes gained even more intensity. According to Wine Spectator "the wines are expressive in aromas, full in colour and concentrated".

Las Casas Malbec Merlot was produced at one of the oldest estates in the region, Casa Donoso, which is celebrating 100 years of winemaking. Winemaker for this red is one of the country's rising stars, Alvaro Arriagada. He can be seen in the vineyard sporting a cowboy hat (the normal attire in Chile); he is in fact as skilled with a lassoo as he is with the grapes.

The wine comprises Malbec, the dark, bold and rich-fruited red grape that has made a name for itself across the Andes in Argentina, but is showing huge potential in Chile right now. A dash of Merlot, one of the benchmark Bordeaux grapes that first put Chile on the map with its lovely smooth berry-fruit and silky tannins, lends a soft edge to the wine.

International Wine Challenge 2008, United Kingdom