Tim Atkin MW releases his 2023 Chile Report

By James Bayley

Published: 17 April, 2023

Tim Atkin MW, Harper's columnist and leading UK wine writer, has launched his 2023 Chile report.

The report, now in its seventh year and available through timatkin.com, was researched over three weeks in December 2022. Atkin travelled approximately 3,500 km and tasted 1,276 wines from 216 wineries to compile the report.

Of those wines, 889 were rated 90 points or higher, including 124 which received more than 95 points.

Read more: Bordeaux closing the gap according to Wine Lister

Tim Atkin MW saidL “Researching this report – my seventh – was more pleasurable than ever. I’ve had a front-row seat to witness the changes of the last decade, and I couldn’t be happier about what has happened. After all, I was the person who described Chile as the ‘Volvo of the wine industry’, a justified comment that it took me a long time to live down.

“Chilean wine has never been in a better place. Its mass-market wines are good value and rarely less than drinkable. But it’s the more ambitious wines that really deserve our attention. These, too, are mostly affordable. Outrageously so in some cases.”

In the report, Chile’s historically most noted wines, chiefly Cabernet Sauvignon-based reds share the limelight with white and red wines made from grapes such as Cinsault, Pinot Noir and Malbec. This is indicated by the two top-scoring (98 point) wines in the report, which were both white – the Bodegas Reta Quebrada Seca Chardonnay 2020 from Limari and Laberinto’s Arcillas Riesling 2022 from Colbún in Maule.

The report also singles out the wines and winemakers who Atkin regards as deserving of special mention.

His podium in 2023 includes Rafael Tirado of Laberinto as Winemaker of the Year, while the Winemaking Legend title went to Miguel Torres Sr.

Atkin continued: “Miguel Torres first went to Chile in 1979 and helped to revolutionise the country’s white wines. The company he helped to found and in which he still plays an active part was elevated to First Growth status in this year’s report and is making its best ever wines under Eduardo Jordán.”

Commercial director at Wines of Chile, Angelica Valenzuela, said: “Tim devoted an all-encompassing three weeks in December 2022 travelling through Chile’s wine regions – North to South tasting 1,276 wines from 216 wineries which has culminated in his seventh and most extensive Chile Special Report to date.

“We are delighted that Tim awarded an astonishing 124 wines a score of 95 points or more this year which is testament to the burgeoning quality of wines being produced by our pioneering winemakers.

“Tim’s enthusiasm and respect for Chile’s wine scene is evident and provides the reader with the most comprehensive and reliable review currently available.”

The report is available to download at timatkin.com.

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