Head out to the supermarket in search of a dependable red and there is a good chance you will walk out with a Chilean wine and indeed, these bottles have served our Friday night dinners well for some time now. Yet the global perception of Chilean red wine has shifted in the two decades since Eduardo Chadwick caused a stir in Berlin, when two wines from Chile – Viñedo Chadwick 2000, and Seña 2001 – were voted in first and second place, above some of the most heralded Old World wines.
While the country continues to produce some of the most reliable, straightforward wines in the world, there are also plenty of more exciting red wines coming out of Chile. The IWSC 2025 saw a strong showing for Chilean reds, with a range of medals across the likes of familiar vineyard favourites such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, alongside heritage grapes including Carménère and Carignan.
At the top of this year’s list, with the only Gold medal awarded to a Chilean red wine, was Viña Cono Sur’s, 20 Barrels Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. This Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley was described by IWSC judges as possessing ‘vibrant aromas of blackcurrant preserve plums and a hint of black olive.’ Moving on to Merlot, Lourdes’ La Moneda Merlot 2024 secured a Silver medal and 90 points for notes of ‘dark, dense black cherry fruit alongside intriguing bell pepper and fresh blackcurrant leaf’. Shiraz also made an appearance, with a 2023 wine from Luis Felipe Edwards Winery’s Tesco Finest range also scoring 90 points and winning praise for ‘a gentle bouquet of black fruits and summer rose petals’.
Chile’s Heritage grapes won their fair share of medals, with the Carignan-based Viña Casas Patronales’, Vigno 2022 picking up a commendable 93 points alongside a Silver medal, while Terroir De Familia Carmenere 2024 also took home a Silver medal.
Every Chilean red wine in this year’s IWSC was judged by an expert panel, led by Alistair Cooper MW. Other judges on the panel included wine buyer at Friarwood Salvatore Castano, wine director at Cornus Melania Battiston and writer and presenter Helena Nicklin.
Chilean red wine has much to offer the wine world and the return of bottles made from heritage grapes to international markets makes the country one to watch. Here, we’re delighted to present our pick of the best Chilean red wines, as judged by the IWSC.
HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?
Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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12 award-winning Chilean red wines to try
