Vina Errazuriz - Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve 2015

Tim Atkin

Wine & Spirits Magazine

Patricio Tapia - Descorchados

From 3 vineyards in the Panquehue zone—the classic Max I, II and V, first planted in 1993—this year’s blend is 67% cabernet sauvignon, 15% carménère, 8% malbec, 7% petit verdot, and 3% cabernet franc. And as in the last 3 vintages, here there has been a change in style from a lush, unctuous wine to this much fresher, nervier style. When winemaker Francisco Baettig joined Errázuriz in 2004, this blend was aged in 100% new barrels; today, that figure is 68%. But that’s not the only change. The earlier harvest in pursuit of more red fruit and gentler extractions in pursuit of greater balance have also had their effects. As have many other details, we imagine. A wine with vigor and lots of light.

Gismondi on Wine

There’s been a shift in style at Errazuriz and it's all for the better. Winemaker Francisco Baettig was a leader in the reduction and elimination of brett over a decade ago at Errazuriz, and the tweaking has gone well beyond that field today. The latest with Don Maximiano has been a marked evolution in style, especially with its new flavour profile and highly refined textures. Red fruit and silky soft tannins have transformed this wine from a brute to a highly polished red wine and we love the effect it has on this ageing vineyard at Panquehue, allowing its unique special terroir to shine. The wine is fermented in smallish stainless-steel vats and aged in two thirds new French barriques for 22 months. You won’t find the word elegant in any of our previous Don Max notes, but this wine is all that and more. Floral, elegant, and red-fruited, brushed with dried herbs and wrapped in seamless tannins equals a whole new Don Max, and I say bravo, Francisco. I love the tension and balance here, indicating it will age effortlessly. This is a terrific Chilean blend. (Anthony Gismondi).

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2015 Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend with 15% Carménère, 8% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc from Panquehue. It fermented in small stainless steel vats and matured in French oak barrels (68% new) for 22 months, including malolactic. This has to be the most elegant version of this cuvée that I tasted, with even a lighter structure than the cooler 2014, and there's also a little more acidity. The texture is seamless, and the balance between fruit, tannins and acidity is superb. This is a superb Bordeaux blend. 71,350 bottles were filled in February 2017.