South American red wine has changed dramatically over the past two decades. New vineyards have pushed into different latitudes and elevations, while improved soil mapping has helped producers understand established regions in greater detail. Winemakers have also revisited old-vine varieties such as Bonarda, Carignan, Cinsault, Criolla, and País, and expanded their use of grapes including Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Grenache, Tannat, Tempranillo, and Touriga Nacional.
Winemaking has shifted, too. Many producers now favor neutral oak, clay vessels, and concrete, while using gentler extraction and aiming for more restrained ripeness and alcohol. The result is a more diverse, terroir-focused range of wines than the familiar image of South America as a source of dependable, affordable bottles suggests.
Yet a tasting of the continent’s leading reds found that two established varieties still dominate at the top: Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and Malbec from Argentina. Together, wines from Maipo and Mendoza took the five highest places. This is unsurprising given the scale of plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for about a third of Chile’s vineyards, while Malbec makes up nearly a quarter of Argentina’s.
The tasting’s leading wine was Santa Rita Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, from Chile’s Maipo region. Mendoza’s Uco Valley also made a strong showing, providing three of the top five wines and five of the top ten. Its growing recognition of subregions has helped sharpen the identity and quality of the wines. Andrew Jefford described the valley as one of the world’s leading places for red-wine creation outside Europe, noting the rapid progress in Mendoza and the variety of styles now emerging—from lighter, more graceful wines to powerful, concentrated examples.
Chile’s Cabernet success is not confined to Maipo. The tasting also highlighted wines from Apalta and Aconcagua, as well as a distinctive Cabernet from old vines in Cauquenes, in the Maule region. Chilean Cabernets tended to share a recognizable style: pure black fruit, supple tannins, and balanced acidity. Wines such as Casa Real and Don Melchor Puente Alto Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 showed how compelling that combination can be.
The Argentine Malbecs displayed greater stylistic variety. The best examples were dense, aromatic, and expressive, while the broader range reflected changing approaches to winemaking. Cabernet Franc and Merlot blends also offered encouraging results. At the same time, excessive oak and wines bottled in a reduced state remain issues for some producers.
Other varieties and countries had their advocates, too. The tasting included Carmenère, Uruguayan Tannat, Argentine Cabernet Franc, Peruvian Malbec and Tannat blends, and Garnacha and Pinot Noir from Chile and Argentina. Their limited presence among the highest-scoring wines, the judges suggested, reflected the strength of the leading Cabernet and Malbec rather than any lack of potential. Tannat from Uruguay was generally less impressive, though Bodegas Bouza stood out; a Peruvian blend featuring Tannat also performed well.
The panel found several established Chilean labels impressive, including Seña, Clos Apalta, and Don Maximiano, while results from some other famous names were less consistent. This raised a broader question: can a national icon be created quickly, or must it develop over time through experience and reputation? The tasting suggested that excellent wines can emerge in a relatively short period, while lasting iconic status is a harder achievement.
Overall, the wines showed both the progress already made and the scope for further change. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec remain South America’s most accomplished red varieties, but increasingly precise knowledge of place and a wider range of winemaking styles are giving the continent’s wines greater depth and diversity.
The tasting also included wines from other South American regions and varieties, though the selection was limited. The judges noted that successful, lighter, savory reds from places such as Chile’s Itata may not have been represented.