Liz Sagues
Geese in Koyle's biodynamic vineyards in Chile's Andean foothills.
- Credit: Archant
Wine nations whose reputation is for great value but rarely inspiring wines have a hard task in moving upmarket.
But they can, very successfully, as one – Chile – is currently proving. Don't take my word alone for that. Chile is one of the wine places on which award-garlanded writer Tim Atkin reports annually, and his latest verdict is compelling: "I am excited by what is happening. There has been a huge transformation in my wine writing lifetime."
Much of that change has been in the last decade, he notes, when top wines have moved away from ultra ripeness and hefty alcohol levels to styles that are fresher, more balanced, relying more on fruit and less on oak. In two words, enjoyably drinkable.