Amplus cabernet sauvignon 2021 (Santa Ema)

Cellar for up to 7 years. No need to decant before serving. The Pavone family have been making wine in Chile’s Maipo Valley since 1917 when they first arrived in the region. Now run by the third generation of the family, Santa Ema is regarded as one of Chile’s leading wineries for quality and value for money. The winery was previously named one of Wine Spectator’s Top 20 World’s Finest Value Brands thanks to their delicious and easy-going wines which are bursting with character and juicy fruit flavours. Their "Amplus" series takes its name from the Latin word which means "honourable" or "distinguished" and is a nod to the Pavone family’s Italian roots. These are serious and refined wines like this charming Cabernet Sauvignon which is sourced from very old vines in the Cachapoal Valley. The vineyards here benefit from hot sunny days during the growing season as well as cooling breezes which are channeled along the Cachapoal River from the nearby Andes Mountains. Once in the winery the grapes are carefully vinified and the young wine is then aged in French oak barrels for 12 months before bottling. Bursting with ripe cherries, blueberries and plums on the nose, the aromas give way to intense crushed wild berries, dried herbs and bitter chocolate on the palate. A firm structure and ripe tannins make this very easy to drink alongside a generous platter of charcuterie, hard cheeses or a hot pepperoni pizza.