Koyle Chilean 90 Point Wines

Robert Parker Wine Advocate Rates Vina Koyle 90 Point Wines

We are thrilled that our entire portfolio of Demeter Certified Biodynamic Vina Koyle wines from Chile are consistently 90 point wines or higher as reviewed by Robert Parker Wine Advocate. From the heart of Chile’s Alto Colchagua Valley near Santiago, these special wines are some of the finest of the region. All Koyle wines are Terroir oriented, and 100% of the wines are single vineyard. The Vina Koyle estate encompasses a variety of plots, each offering a different elevation and soil type – micro-terroirs – producing several lines of wines with their own unique character.

Koyle 1st & 2nd Terrace 90 Point Wines

2019 Koyle Gran Reserva Carmenere – 91 Points

“I like the varietal character of the 2019 Gran Reserva Carmenere, which is pungent and intense, very aromatic and open. It’s a little riper than the 2018 but showing very well. The organically farmed grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak barrels for 14 months. It’s medium-bodied and reveals round and polished tannins.”

2018 Koyle Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – 91 Points

“I find a lot of complexity in the 2018 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps because it’s not really a varietal wine but rather a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Tempranillo and 3% Petit Verdot. 2018 was a cooler year of slow ripening and full development of aromas and flavors, and that’s what I saw in this bottling, complex and deep, surprising at this price point.”

Koyle San Antonio Valley Grown Over 90 Point Wine

2020 Koyle Costa La Flor Sauvignon Blanc – 91 Points

“The citrus-driven 2020 La Flor Costa Sauvignon Blanc reflects the salinity of the sea, which is only nine kilometers away from the vines. There is a notable absence of herbal aromas even when picked at 13% alcohol and with a very low pH. It’s produced with organically farmed grapes and kept with the fine lees for four months.”

Koyle 2nd & 3rd Terrace 90 Point Wines

2018 Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 Points

“The 2018s are fresher than the 2017s, and the 2018 Royale Cabernet Sauvignon, which contains 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot (different to previous years), feels complex, fresh, elegant and balanced. There is concentration and power in this wine but also balance and energy, surely the result of very good farming. Nevertheless, they are certified in organic and biodynamics.”

2018 Koyle Royale Carmenere – 91 Points

“The 2018 Royale Carmenere, which also contains 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, was produced with grapes from the second and third terrace of their estate in Los Lingues. This is much fresher and more varietal than the 2017, with pungent aromas of freshly cracked peppercorns, cigar ash, tea and tobacco leaves. It has less alcohol, a more balanced palate and a medium to full body with round and ripe tannins.”

Koyle 3rd North Terrace and Selected Units of Micro-terroir Over 90 Point Wines

2019 Koyle Cerro Basalto Cuartel G2 – 95 Points

“The pungent and aromatic 2019 Cerro Basalto Cuartel G2 comes from their basalt hill from the plot they call G2, very different from the Mediterranean blend Cerro Basalto, as this is exclusively Carmenere and Cabernet Franc. It’s spicy and peppery, with a big influence from the Carmenere aromas. Despite the warm year, this is “only” 14% alcohol, and the grapes seem to have developed full maturity of flavors and round tannins. It’s every bit as good as the best vintages of this bottling.”

2019 Koyle Cerro Basalto – 94 Points

“There are two separate bottlings from their basalt hill planted with different varieties, the regular 2019 Cerro Basalto, which is a Mediterranean blend, and a plot-designated label from a part planted with Carmenere and Cabernet Franc. The regular bottling is a blend of Monastrell, Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah. 2019 was a warm vintage, and they used uncrushed grapes and 50% full clusters in the fermentation to keep some extra freshness through a semi-carbonic maceration. The varieties matured separately for 12 months—the Monastrell and Syrah in 400-liter oak barrels, the Garnacha in concrete eggs and the Cariñena in an 1,800-liter oak foudre—and then they were blended and put in a 5,100-liter oak foudre for a further eight months before bottling. This is a full-bodied, ripe and Mediterranean red with power and energy, lots of aromatic herbs, ripe berries and integrated oak. The palate is juicy and round, with fine tannins and a serious, long finish.”

2016 Koyle Auma – 95 Points

“I love the deep and complex aromas of the 2016 Auma, a complex blend of Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from a very rainy and cool year that delivered a very fresh wine that has been polished by a couple of years in bottle. It’s elegant, classical and integrated, polished and subtle. The oak feels quite integrated; the wine fermented in 600-liter oak barrels with a soft extraction and had an élevage of 24 months separately and then was blended and kept for a further nine months in concrete. This is slow winemaking at its best!”

Vina Koyle Produces Biodynamic 90 Point Wines

Viña Koyle was born from the tradition that the family Undurraga carry in their blood; a family dedicated to winemaking for more than 6 generations, started by Francisco Undurraga Vicuña in 1885. Koyle places their greatest effort on the expression and understanding of the vineyard. It is based on 3 pillars: man, place and environment. It is through a Biodynamic approach that they have found the best way to get intimately close to the expression of nature. Through achieving balance, unique wines are obtained that express the harmony found in unifying the cosmic and terrestrial world. The deep respect of the ecosystem, natural cycles and the dedication of human work are used to achieve these wines of excellence.

All Koyle estate-grown grapes are harvested by hand and vinified with a low-intervention philosophy to preserve their natural expression, freshness and finesse. They are “wild fermented” with indigenous yeast, then aged in French oak for 14 months and bottled at the ideal moment. The wines are characterized by good structure, elegance, freshness and balance. They are concentrated wines with good acidity, that show their own notes of the distinct terroir of their origin.