This month marks one year since my trip to Chile. It was admittedly one of the best moments in my life… The people, nature, weather, food, wine, and the mountains were so memorable and amazing.
I was looking at the trip diary I made, and I wanted to share an excerpt of it here:
Gorgeous mountains and vineyards in Chile
“Breathtaking.
That’s all I could muster after an exhausting 26-hour flight (excluding a 6 hour layover in Dallas) to Santiago, Chile. For a nanosecond, I marveled at how a city girl like me could be rendered speechless by the sight of the Andes, which greeted us like heavenly angels as we touched down.”
Breathtaking Montes Vineyards
So, what’s a wino doing, rambling about mountains? In Spanish, mountains translate to Montes, and I figured talking about the beautiful highlands of Chile is a great way to set the mood for talking about Montes Wines.
With the same overwhelming emotions that I had landing in Chile, I felt awestruck as soon as we got to Montes Winery: Vineyards as far as the eye could see, and a zen-like feeling was everywhere (explained by the feng shui that was involved in designing the winery).
Wine tasting conducted by Jorge Gutierrez
During the visit, I was privileged enough to join a wine tasting participated by wine aficionados from different parts of the world. We enjoyed a powerhouse Montes lineup, wonderfully presented by Jorge Gutierrez, Montes’ enologist.
Another day in the office
The Montes showcase included Outer Limits, a brand that boasts of a selection of wines made in such an unconventional manner, producing divine Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cinsault, and the delectable Carignan Grenache Mourvèdre (simply called the CGM). Gutierrez also presented the famous Montes Alpha line, which included a revamped, significantly more elegant 2013 Chardonnay.
(L-R): Outer Limits, M, Purple Angel, Montes Folly
We were then treated to a Montes Alpha M, a phenomenal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot (which I could not stop raving about on my technical notes, punctuating my descriptions with “beautiful” and a smiley face). I fell in love with the 100% Shiraz Montes Folly (so much that I had to buy a bottle to take home).
The best was saved for last: The Montes Purple Angel. Made from Chile’s signature grape Carmenere and a hint of Petit Verdot for structure, it was a dark, red fruit and dark chocolate symphony that made me think of angels singing a hallelujah chorus in the background…
Maybe it was the multitude of angels decorating the place, or the fact that the mountains give you an altitude that brought visitor closer to the heavens. Whatever it was, Montes to me perfectly bottled up all the wonderful emotions I associate with my Chilean adventure.
What is your favourite Montes Wine? If you haven’t decided on one, check out any Ralph’s wine store (I personally decided to relive the Montes trip by buying myself a bottle of Outer Limits from one of the Makati branches). Salud!
