Santiago

The Central Valley of Chile forms a dazzling patchwork of greenery, the heartland of the country's agricultural industry. The Spanish incomers such as Pedro de Valdivia who founded Santiago and settled the surrounding area in the 16th Century hoped to find precious metals, but found little. Fast forward to the modern era, and it is exports of vine-derived fruit, table grapes and bottled wine especially, that make up the export strength of this modern-minded, impressive country.

Chile is often said to have an ideal climate for grape growing. Dry, sunny with abundant snow melt from the Andean cordillera to the east. There are few vine diseases or rot in Chile, and the lack of phylloxera means that almost all Chilean vines are un-grafted. The cooling effect of the nearby Pacific Ocean is another positive climatic factor. The Central Valley where the Santiago range of wines come from is a typically Mediterranean climate.

Santiago has long been a really successful Chilean house brand of Moreno Wines. The quality and value are outstanding and there has been an upgrade in the packaging this time round. Screwcaps have been introduced instead of cork, ensuring freshness and reliability bottle after bottle. Add in the recent label redesign, and here is a thoroughly modern brand that reflects nicely the accessible and pure fruit flavours of Chilean wine. One addition this year is a juicy and quaffable rosé made from Cabernet Sauvignon. It joins the ever-popular Sauvignon Blanc, light, lemony and zesty.

The Chardonnay is unoaked, and has a nice hint of tropical fruit richness. The hugely successful Merlot is vibrantly plummy and silky, while the Cabernet Sauvignon has elements of cassis and black cherry. All five wines show the lovely purity of fruit and upfront appeal that seems to be the hallmark of Chilean wine. NB. Wines now sealed with screwcaps.