"Aromas of currant, blackberry and chocolate follow through a medium body, firm and silky tannins and a delicious finish. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and syrah. Drink now."
- James Suckling (May 2017), 90 pts
- James Suckling (May 2017), 90 pts
"Sourced from slopes in the foothills of the Andes, this is an ambitiously oaked blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 22% Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot. Ripe yet firm, with some minty reduction, plenty of grip and layers of savoury cassis and blueberry fruit. 2020-26"
- Tim Atkin (Chile 2018 Special Report), 90 pts
"The blend of the 2014 Memorias was simplified to 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot. The percentage of new barrels was lowered to 50% and the élevage shortened to 17 months, in search of fresher and more vertical wines, the aim since 2011 or so. There is a little more volume here compared with the 2013. In the slightly riper vintages, winemaker Gonzalo Guzmán tries to use less new oak. But the profile is quite similar and coherent with the house style; it's also what you get from a warm and dry place where they are. This should be released around June 2017. 60,450 bottles were filled in January 2016."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #230, April 2017), 90 pts
"Floral plum and berry aromas are spicy and lightly herbal. They do a good job of capturing the essence of this Cabernet Sauvignon, which includes about one-third Syrah and Petit Verdot. A loaded palate is rough and tumble, while this tastes of spicy, foresty berry fruits. Oak, espresso and toast flavors along with heat are the big four on the finish of this cellar-worthy red blend; drink through 2028. - Michael SCHACHNER"
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (December 31st 2018), 92 pts & Cellar Selection
TOP 100 Cellar Selections Wines for 2019
- Descorchados (November 2017, 93 pts
"Gonzalo Guzman Cassanello collaborated on El Principal's wines with Patrick Léon, the longtime managing director of Bordeaux's Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, who first came to Chile in the 1990s to work on Almaviva. In the ripe 2014 vintage, they blended a relatively high proportion of syrah and petit verdot (22 and 15 percent, respectively) with cabernet sauvignon, creating an intriguing take on Pirque. Its flavors hint at ripe strawberries and darker notes of wild blackberries, the sweetness of that fruit held in a clean, light and delicate frame."
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (June 2019), 93 pts
