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The wines of Château Los Boldos, Rapel, Chile

Château Las Boldos, Camino Los Boldos S/N, Casilla 73, Requínoa, Chile
Tel: +56 72 551 230 Fax: +56 72 551 202
E-mail: boldos@clb.cl Websute: www.chateaulosboldos.com
UK agent: Hayman Barwell Jones (e-mail Miranda.hayman@hbjwines.co.uk)

As you’d guess from the name, this Rapel winery is French owned. The estate, which dates back to the mid nineteenth century, was purchased by the Massenez family in 1990. Massenez, from Alsace, are famous for their eaux-de-vie and fruit crèmes, with pear in the bottle (Poire Prisonnière) being a particular speciality: Boldos is their first venture into wine. The sizeable 250 hectare estate is run by Dominique Massenez and winemaking is the responsibility of another Frenchman, Stephane Geneste.

You’d never pick these wines as French, though – they are distinctively Chilean. That said, the quality is high overall. I find it a little hard to get excited about Chilean wines, which typically offer solid quality and pure fruit, but little in the way of complexity. It’s a bit like it with many of these wines: good but not stunning.

Château Los Boldos Sauvignon Blanc Tradition 2001, Rapel
Modern, crisp, fresh nose. Tasty and slightly grassy. Good/very good

Château Los Boldos Sauvignon Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2000, Rapel
Slightly fuller and grassier, this is crisp and attractive with a herby edge. Very good

Château Los Boldos Chardonnay Tradition 2002, Rapel
Crisp, fresh herb-tinged fruit dominates, in a very bright style. Good/very good

Château Los Boldos Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2001, Rapel
Fermented and aged for six months in French oak. Quite an attractive nutty, toasty edged nose with some bright fruit. Nicely balanced palate displaying juicy fruit and subtle oak influence. Very good+

Château Los Boldos Merlot Tradition 2001, Rapel
Nicely balanced nose showing berry fruit with some subtle spicy, herby notes. Good balance on the palate with sweet berry fruit and some tannin and acidity. Very good+

Château Los Boldos Merlot Vieilles Vignes 1999, Rapel
Savoury plumy fruit with some good acidity and a bit of structure. Quite old styled but attractive. Very good+

Château Los Boldos Merlot Vieilles Vignes 2000, Rapel
Lifted spicy berry fruit on the nose. The palate is soft and juicy with some savoury structure. Very good

Château Los Boldos Cabernet Sauvignon Tradition 2001, Rapel
Nice juicy savoury edge to the blackcurrant fruit. Vivid acidity provides good definition. Very good+

Château Los Boldos Cabernet Sauvignon Vieilles Vignes 1999, Rapel
Restrained, slightly evolved nose. Savoury palate shows firm tannins and good acid backbone, with chocolatey blackcurrant fruit. Very good+

Château Los Boldos Cabernet Sauvignon Vieilles Vignes 2000, Rapel
Restrained, savoury nose. Palate displays a good concentration of tight, juicy berry fruit with firm tannins and good acidity. Fruity but restrained: quite a dense wine. Very good+

Château Los Boldos Grand Cru 1999, Rapel
A blend of Cabernet and Merlot. Classy nose of subtle, spicy oak with taut, spicy blackcurrant fruit. Intense, concentrated palate shows sweet fruit with firm tannic core and some spiciness from the oak. A serious, classy wine but still very much in that Chilean mould. Very good/excellent

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