This ‘long string bean’ of a country really does have all the aces up its sleeve, with continued development of micro-climates and new regions. While 2006 was good, 2007 and 2008 have been even better for reds and these are the wines we are starting to import now.

Perversely, hotter valleys such as the Elqui, 400 kms north of Santiago are also producing world-beating whites - the effect of altitude mitigating the increasing heat and allowing the wider day/night temperature difference to slow the ripening process and impart complexity. You can see this in the superb new Sauvignon Blanc from Falernia.

Moreover, remember that due to the exemplary climate, use of pesticides and fungicides is kept to a bare minimum, a fact that has let many winemakers concentrate on organic, biodynamic and environmentally friendly practices the length and breadth of the country.

There are some delightful wines coming out of the far southern Bío Bío Valley, made by king of the cool climate Adolfo Hurtado with his Vision Riesling and Cono Sur Gewürztraminer. Chardonnay too, while offering much at the everyday drinking end, is showing class and breeding further up the scale. The Leyda Lot 5 is sophistication and purity, much more Burgundian than many others we have tried. Not that all this range comprises new wines: old favourite Cousiño Macul Chardonnay often gets mistaken by us for a Mâcon in blind tastings, and something you could check for yourself.

The red wines are equally exciting. In particular we have cracked the Carmenère question: just how good is Chile’s signature grape? The answers come in various guises but all are great wines. Rayun from Alvaro Espinosa is a very good, straightforward starting point, before moving up to his blend with Cabernet Sauvignon (the Novas), and with Syrah in the beefy Falernia blend. For really rich styles, Giorgio Flessati, winemaker at Falernia, uses altitude, slope and the sea to moderate the heat and dryness of the Elqui Valley, the valley the furthest north for growing grapes. His Falernia Syrah has more than a touch of the Northern Rhône about it, while the late-ripening Carmenère brings a ripe, chocolaty feel to his blend of the two. Bigger again, his Reserva Carmenère is just a knock-out! All three Falernias are must-trys, while another staff favourite is Espinosa’s Coyam, also much praised by the press and probably the most complex and multi-layered wine in the range.

Pinot Noir is recognised as the Holy Grail of winemakers outside Burgundy. Carmen’s Pinot Noir is soft and fruity, well priced and getting a good following. Taking things further, Viña Leyda’s new winemaker, Viviana Navarrete is taking full advantage of the moderating effect of the proximity of the Pacific, a mere 14 kms away, to turn out a more elegant Pinot Noir, as well as experimenting with Riesling - work in progress.

Our Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines have always been popular and for breadth of style and character they are still doing a fine job. The new winery and cellars of Cousiño Macul at Buin in the Alto Maipo region have pushed the Antiguas Reserva on a step. This is a wine which also comes in jereboams, and affordable ones at that - so you can put an extravagantly big bottle on the dinner party table and really impress your guests! From the slopes of the Coastal Mountain range in the Cachapoal Valley at Apalta comes the hugely rich Casa Lapostolle Merlot, while the Marqués de Casa Concha’s pure, clean Cabernet Sauvignon is a hallmark style from the stable of Ignacio Recabarran, another immensely respected winemaker, now in charge at Concha y Toro. Finally, a mention of the Torres range from the more southerly Curicó Valley. The Torres empire was built in Spain but now covers California and Chile; it is the latter which has become their strongest export. The Santa Digna wines are excellent, well-priced examples with a bias to more traditional winemaking, the perfect foil to new techniques employed by other companies.

In summary, this is a chance to taste the best from an emerging, evolving Chile, bursting with talent, a country taking the next steps while remaining true to the flavours and prices that put it on the map in the first place.

Robert Boutflower