Errazuriz Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve

Errazuriz's Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve traces to 1986, when the winery released this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend as its statement wine—a deliberate pivot toward age-worthy structure in a region then known for lighter reds.

The vineyard sits in Aconcagua Valley, Chile's northernmost premium wine region, where the Pacific's cooling influence tempers the desert heat. Soils are alluvial and gravelly, with elevation ranging 400–600 meters; the aspect favors morning sun and afternoon shade, slowing ripening and preserving acidity in the fruit.

The blend (typically Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot) undergoes malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, with extended aging in a mix of new and neutral wood. The exact cooperage and duration shift by vintage, but the house style targets 18+ months of oak maturation, building structure without overwhelming the fruit's dark-berry core.

This expression remains one of Chile's few Cabernet-led wines built for 15–20 year cellaring, distinguishing it from the fruit-forward category that dominates the country's export market.

Current vintage shows the characteristic Aconcagua density: ripe cassis and plum, with graphite minerality and subtle herb undertones from the Carmenère component. Tannins are firm but integrated; acidity carries the wine's length.