Montes Purple Angel 2020

Viña Montes is the shared vision of four friends, first dreamed up in the late 1980s, of making Chilean wines to a higher level than the world had ever seen. Now sold in more than 100 countries and noted as pioneers of high-end Chilean wine (Syrah, especially), Montes has undoubtedly achieved that goal. Perhaps it is the work of the angels that adorn the winery at every turn and, indeed, the wines’ labels – a superior presence that one of the founders felt alongside him, they add to the winery’s decidedly mystical air.

Opened in 2004, the winery features gravitational technology, a sustainable ethos and feng shui design supervised by expert Sylvia Galleguillos. Using the philosophy’s principles to find deeper union with its surroundings and, ultimately, wines, it highlights the elements of metal, wood, earth, fire and water wherever possible. So the entrance is accessed via a wooden path over a small lagoon of water flowing towards the building; at its core, a fountain resembling a lily opens up to a skylight above, connecting the building with the outer world.

"A consistent Purple Angel that really delivers the carmenere’s plushness when ripened well. Dark olives, blackberries and red chili chocolate with a splash of spice and cigar box. Fleshy and concentrated with plenty of fine-grained tannins that extend to a very creamy finish. 92% carmenere, around half from Marchigue and half from Apalta, with 8% petit verdot." - 98 Points, James Suckling

"The 2020 Carménère Purple Angel contains an dash of Petit Verdot (8%), also from Apalta, Colchagua. It was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 70% of them new. Purple in hue. The sun-kissed nose delivers plum and blackberry jam notes over nuanced layers of ash and spice against a balsamic backdrop. Indulgent and broad in the mouth. The expansive, voluminous palate is full of plummy flavor with a juicy flow and a lasting finish of ripe, fruity aromas. The warm year dialed up the sweetness.” - 94 Points, Vinous

Producer: Montes

Country: Chile

Region: Colchagua Valley

Varietal: Carménère, Petit Verdot

Appellation: Colchagua Valley

Vintage: 2020

Size: 750ml