January 2012-

In the ninth edition of the competition, the jury was made up of experts from different countries; Peter Richards, Master of Wine from the United Kingdom; Lisa Perrott—Brown, Master of Wine from Singapore; Mai Tjemsland, Master of Wine from Norway; Debra Meiburg, Master of Wine from Hong Kong; Marcelo Copello from Brazil; Bill St. John from the United States; Bengt-Göran Kronstam from Sweden; Patricio Tapia from Chile and Anthony Gismondi from Canada.

Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the best vineyards Viña San Pedro currently owns in Elqui Valley, which present sandy silt loam soils with the presence of angular stones in all of their profile. The vineyard receives a strong marine influence, since it is located approximately 20 kilometers from the ocean in a straight line.

December, 2011.-

San Pedro counted 8 scores equal or higher than 90, among which the 2008 Kankana del Elqui stood out, obtaining 92points and being part of the Best Syrah and the Chosen from the North rankings.

“From the quarter N°10, at the Las Rojas vineyard (at the Elqui) (…) this wine follows the path of its origin and deepens in its character (…) A tremendous Syrah”, states Tapia on his review.

Also, the 2009 vintage of 1865 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon obtained 92points. “A fresh, herbal wine, with very good acidity, a neat texture and great softness. A wine with character…”, held the critic.

On the other hand, the 2009 vintage of 1865 Single Vineyard Syrah, the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc from Leyda –the white in this line–, and the 2009 vintage of 1865 Limited Edition Syrah, were rated with 91points each. Besides, 2008 Tierras Moradas, the 2008 vintage of 1865 Limited Edition Blend and 2011 Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc from Elqui were awarded with 90points. “Showing its origin with the clarity of a mirror (…) The heat of Pencahue expressing all its sun”, said Tapia in his guide regarding Tierras Moradas.

August, 2011.-

- On its August Edition, prestigious Chilean magazine,  La Cav –the Wine-lovers’ Club, which reaches over 13,000 subscribers monthly–, dedicated its Tasting Panel to Malbec wines and Red Blends, and gave 90 points to 1865 Single Vineyard Malbec 2008, highlighting its “intense, pleasant, sweet and structured mouth, light, but ripe and warm tannins”.

- Besides, the also Chilean publication Vinos&Más, qualifying Syrah and Carmenere in its tasting panel for the July-August 2011 edition, awarded 90 points to 1865 Single Vineyard Syrah 2007, spotlighting it as a “soft, mature, lovable (…) sweet-toothed” wine, and equally, gave 90 points to 1865 Limited Edition Syrah Elqui 2007, describing it as “big”.

- As for the rest of the world, renowned wine-writer Deborah Parker Wong –who visited SanPedro in April this year–, highlighted 1865 Single Vineyard  Carmenere 2009, describing its “spicy green olive aromas with bright, juicy black fruit, complex notes of tobacco, green olive, vanilla mid-palate with graphite minerality on the finish”, in the article “Flare with Carmenere”, she has just published in Augusts’ edition of the American magazine The Tasting Panel Magazine, where she highlighted the Chilean wines of this variety that most caught her attention.

August, 2011.-

The British magazine published on its August edition a special feature about Chile and Argentina, entitled “Finding El Dorado”, on which Richards qualified our country as “a viticultural paradise”, for the diversity in vines and origins it offers, and chose the Top 15 best wineries, out from the over 200 existing in the country.

Regarding San Pedro, the English expert highlighted the vast improvement of quality undertaken along the last decade, in all of this winery’s lines of wines, varieties and vineyards, as well as the incorporation of new origins for its fruit, which in his view has had “dramatic effect”… In the best sense of the word.

“The most notable is Elqui, where San Pedro now makes outstanding Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc”, stresses Richards, precisely granting 4 stars, this is, a highly recommendable qualification, to the wine Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc from Elqui Valley, vintage 2010, saying:

“Consistently one of Chile’s best-value Sauvignon Blancs, this comes bursting with tangy flavours of gooseberries, tomato leaf and ripe citrus fruit. A fantastic wine for its price”.

Undoubtedly, a great example of the “unbounded creativity” highlighted by Richards on his article.

June, 2011.-

In brief: Our 1865 Limited Edition Blend 2007 has just attained 94 points on Wine&Spirits magazine’s June edition, which published its rankings of the 100 Top Values of the Year and the Year’s Best, featuring as the best score among the new Chilean releases. This, right after –as we informed before-, vintage 2008 of this wine was awarded the Regional Trophy Chilean Red Blend over GBP10 at the Decanter World Wine Awards’11.

In turn, 1865 Single Vineyard Syrah 2007 was reviewed with 93 points on Wine&Spirits February’s edition, also appearing the same month with four stars and marked as a Best Value in the English magazine Decanter, in an article about the Top 50 Syrahs below GBP25, that included Chile within the 5 main Syrah producing regions in the world.

Furthermore, harvest 2008 of this wine was qualified in April with 91 points by American publication Wine Enthusiast, which bestowed the same score and additionally highlighted our wine 1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2010 as Editor’s Choice.

Another outstanding case is our Kankana del Elqui, Solar N°10, which first vintage, year 2007, obtained 90 points in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate; was highlighted with 91 points and as one of the Top Chilean Wines in WineSpectator’s March issue and has just added some 92 points more stemming from Wine&Spirits’ June’s edition.

May, 2011.-

This year’s edition of the DWWA received a staggering amount of 12,252 wines from 44 countries.

This award was announced during the London International Wine Fair, it will be also published on a special edition of Decanter Magazine and already, this competition’s web site features a review of our wine:

“This wine is a fine example of a blend in which not only do the varieties blend seamlessly but the terroir shines through too”.

Find the whole review at:

http://www.decanter.com/dwwa/dwwa-coverage/525816/chilean-red-blend-over-10

April, 2011.-

The Hot Brand Award is given annually to the most dynamic wine and spirits brands meeting certain criteria measuring growth and impact on the industry (double-digit growth last 3 years; at least 15% annual growth; and 200,000 cases minimum depletions). So, this distinction remarks once again the great success of GatoNegro in the US market.

Impact is a leading beverage distribution and retail magazine, published 17 times per year, aimed at top decision makers, who control the distribution and sales of spirits, wine and beer throughout the world.

The Hot Brand Award winners were recognized at the Impact Marketing Seminar in New York City on March 24^th, a preeminent conference –with over 30 years of trajectory– that brings together 250+ top key industry professionals from the global spirits, wine and beer business. The win-list was featured in the March 1&15 issue of the Impact magazine, which was distributed at the seminar. Also, the April issue of Market Watch will re-announce the Hot Brand Award winners and will be distributed at the annual Wine and Spirits Wholesaler Association Convention carried out in Florida.

Impact is one of the premier trade magazines such as Market Watch, Food Arts, Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, published by M. Shanken Communications. In addition, this firm also publishes the Impact Newsletter and heads Impact Databank, research arm which is the leading source for exclusive data on the alcoholic beverage industry in the US and internationally.

January, 2011.-  San Pedro’s

On one hand, renowned wine-writer Anthony Gismondi, from newspaper Vancouver Sun, the largest one in that city, rated 35°South with 87 points and qualified it as a “Crazy Value”, this means, that its quality-price ratio is barely insane.

On his article entitled “Good wines at good prices will sell food”, Gismondi recommends six wines, from France, Italy, California, Chile and Argentina, which restaurants should offer on their wine lists in order to “change the way people think about the food and wine experience in their locals”, highlighting in his list a wine they have to have: “a crazy value red and that’s San Pedro 35°South Reserva Shiraz 2009, from Chile. Soft, fresh, round, dry palate with black cherry, licorice, peppery, blueberry, smoky, gamy, savoury flavours.  This will be gone before you can get the food on the table. Price it at  CAD$ 28.00 and sell two for dinner”.

At the same zone, but on the newspaper Courier-Islander,  wine-critic Doug Sloan, wrote an interesting list aimed at accompanying these days, when all years end celebrations have been and gone, and there are only bills to pay left. In his article “Excellent wines for CAD$ 8.99 and even less….” his list includes some examples stemming from California, Italy, local Canada, Argentina and Chile, country from which he highlights our GatoNegro, describing “a light bodied and tropically inflected Sauvignon Blanc –think mango and pineapple–, and a more medium bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, subtle and smooth and restrained blackcurrant aromas and flavours and very gentle ‘bite-free’ tannins”.

Two very important reviews to help promote San Pedro’s brands this year 2011 in North America!