Chile: Wine styles

Wines exported from Chile are, typically, extremely fruity and clean but did not until the early 1990s display the structure which can be imposed only by low yields and/or barrel maturation. Yields are still relatively high, although there are some plots of very old vines which produce concentrated wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot–Carmenère, and Cabernet blends dominate Chile’s red wine exports and can provide extremely good-value wines for drinking within two or three years, although an increasing proportion of wine capable of bottle ageing has been produced.