Errazuriz Kai 2020

Errazuriz Kai 2020

 

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Errazuriz
Kai 2020
  • Vintage : 2020
  • Country : Chile
  • Region : Aconcagua Valley
  • Subregion
  • Type : Red
  • Style : Rich and Spicy
  • Format : 75cl
  • Alcohol : 14,5°
  • Grappes : 96% Carménère, 5% Syrah

With a bold profile and refined tannins, the Kai from Errázuriz represents the best of the Aconcagua Valley, marrying dark fruit with earthy, savory notes in a harmonious, age-worthy wine.

Experts Score Vintage
RP Robert Parker 93+ 2020
JS James Suckling 95 2018
More information on wine critics and ratings

Region and Vineyards

The Aconcagua Valley, located 60 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, provides an ideal climate for Carménère. Known for its warm days and cool evening breezes, the valley has an extended dry season that encourages even ripening. The MAX V vineyard, where the Kai grapes are grown, is on the alluvial plains along the southern bank of the Aconcagua River. The proximity to the river and the relatively unexposed slope create a cooler-than-average microclimate within the region. The soil in this vineyard is deep, clay to clay-loam, with up to 80% stone content, ensuring excellent drainage and contributing to the wine’s mineral complexity. This terroir allows the grapes to develop intense flavors while retaining a refreshing acidity.

The growing season in Aconcagua Valley was notably dry and warm, leading to an early harvest. The season featured a rainfall deficit, requiring early irrigation, but ensured excellent grape health throughout the year. February’s heat gave way to an accelerated ripening process, while cooler conditions in March preserved the grapes' acidity and aromatic qualities.

Winemaking

Kai is a blend of 95% Carménère and 5% Syrah, carefully selected from the best blocks of the MAX V vineyard. The vintage began with lower-than-average rainfall, and temperatures varied throughout the growing season, which contributed to concentrated, healthy grapes. Harvested on April 30th, the Carménère retained a vibrant acidity and complex aromatics.

After harvest, the wine was fermented and aged to highlight the depth of the Carménère and the structure of the Syrah. The balanced acidity and refined tannins enhance its age-worthiness, making it enjoyable now but ideal for aging until 2040.

Tasting Notes

  • Color: Deep, intense purple.
  • Aroma: Black fruits and spices dominate, with notes of black pepper, paprika, rosemary, black olives, incense, and cigar box. Subtle hints of fresh-roasted coffee and dark chocolate add depth.
  • Palate: Lush and ample, with balanced acidity providing freshness. The wine has fine tannins that caress the palate, leading to a long, persistent finish with savory undertones.

Did you know?

Errázuriz’s Kai is crafted to reflect the best of Chile’s terroir, with the name “Kai” meaning “plant” in the indigenous Mapuche language, symbolizing a deep-rooted connection to the land and respect for sustainable viticulture.

Wine Pairing Ideas

  • Cassoulet au confit de canard : The richness of the duck and savory beans harmonizes with the wine's dark fruit and earthy notes. The dish’s slow-cooked flavors complement the wine’s complexity and depth, making for an indulgent pairing.
  • Boeuf bourguignon : The braised beef and red wine sauce work well with Kai’s intense black fruit and savory character, while the wine’s acidity balances the richness of this classic French stew.
  • Empanadas au boeuf et aux olives noires : This South American dish, filled with seasoned beef and olives, echoes the wine's notes of black olive and spice, enhancing both the savory depth and the wine’s herbal undertones.
  • Raclette ou Mont d'Or : These Alpine cheeses, melted and served with potatoes, charcuterie, and pickles, balance the wine's earthy tones and acidity. The creamy texture of the cheese complements the wine’s silky tannins and spices.

Origins

The Errazuriz Estate was founded in 1870 when Don Maximiano Errazuriz planted his first vineyards at Panquehue in the Aconcagua Valley - 100km North of the capital. Recognising that this valley, with its cool, rainy winters, hot, dry summers and moist Pacific Ocean breezes, was ideal for growing grapes, Don Maximiano sent for the finest clones from France and with tenacity and perseverance transformed this barren land into a world class vineyard.

Today, the tradition of quality lives on with Don Maximiano's descendant Eduardo Chadwick. Eduardo is the fifth generation of his family to be involved in the wine business. Eduardo has overseen the modernisation of the winemaking technology at this historic Estate whilst maintaining a distinct identity for its wines. Dedicated to producing estate grown wines of superior quality, Errazuriz has built a reputation as the "Premier Family Wine Estate of Chile".

Errazuriz's philosophy is best expressed by Don Maximiano who said, "From the best land, the best wine." Vina Errazuriz believe in the concept of 'terroir' and strive to produce the finest wines by controlling every stage of the winemaking process, from grape growing in the Aconcagua and Casablanca valleys, to winemaking with the most natural techniques. An emphasis is placed on the delicate handling of the wines, with the aim of producing wines with elegance and complexity.

Personalities

Eduardo Chadwick
Eduardo Chadwick

Eduardo Chadwick - President:
Eduardo is Don Maximiano's descendent and the 6th generation of his family to be involved in winemaking. He explains, "Our challenge at Viña Errazuriz is to produce world class wines that capture the essence of the grapes and the spirit of the soil". He shares his ancestor's maxim: "From the best land, the best wine".

Francisco Baettig - Chief Winemaker:
Francisco Baettig studied as an Agronomist Engineer at the University of Chile and also obtained a Masters in Enology with honours from the Faculty of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux (Diplome d'Etudes Superieures Specialisees), through a scholarship awarded by the French government.

During his career he has been involved in vintages in the Languedoc-Roussillon as flying winemaker for Michel Laroche, Pomerol at Le Bon Pasteur, one of the renowned Michel Rolland's wineries; in Sancerre at Chateau de Sancerre reputed for its white wines and in the United States at Hallcrest Winery - one of the first organically certified wineries in California. He has also been on numerous technical visits to New Zealand, France and Italy. Before joining Errazuriz his time in Chile was spent at Casa Lapostolle where he worked for 4 years with Michel Rolland as assistant winemaker.

In 2003 Francisco Baettig became the head winemaker at Viña Errázuriz and took the role of Enology Manager 8 years later. Francisco belongs to a new generation of winemakers whose aim is to produce wines that best express the terroir of each vineyard. The winery has established Estates; Don Maximiano Estate, Manzanar Estate, La Escultura Estate and Viñedo Chadwick Estate (see vineyards section for more detail).

He has been in charge of producing the Errazuriz’s iconic wines such as Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve, KAI, and La Cumbre, and his talent and work were rewarded as Don Maximiano has been the only Chilean contender ranked ‘Best in Show’ and ‘Best Super Premium Red’ two years in a row at the Annual Wines of Chile Awards (AWOCA). 

In addition, Francisco was named ‘2011 Winemaker of the Year’ by the Círculo de Cronistas Gastronómicos y del Vino de Chile (Chilean Food and Wine Writer’s Guild).  

Francisco speaks English and French and has a love of aeroplanes - in 1998 he acquired his pilots' license for single-engine planes.

The Wines

Estate Series: Wines that express the characteristics of each varietal in its chosen geographical wine producing zone. The aim is to show maximum fruit, excellent balance and harmony between freshness and a certain degree of complexity.

Specialities: These are wines produced with specific viticultural or vinification points of difference.

Max Reserva: These are from a limited selection of the best grapes grown at the Don Maximiano, Manzanar and La Escultra Estates: concentrated, complex but elegant.

Flagships: The very best from Viña Errazuriz. In January 2004, at a blind tasting in Berlin, Viñedo Chadwick was placed first by an international jury, comprised of many of Europe's top wine writers, ahead of the most expensive and reputed wines of the Old World. This landmark tasting proved the quality and potential of this fine wine, and has been repeated with similar results as far afield as Japan, Canada and Brazil. In 2009 a similar tasting took place in London including some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons from around the world. Hosted by Steven Spurrier and Peter Richards MW, the great and the good of the UK wine trade were in attendance to share their opinions on the impressive line up. 

The Vineyards

Vina Errazuriz is committed to the concept of "terroir"- the idea that each vineyard imparts its own distinct characteristic to the grapes grown there. Achieving premium quality in a wine therefore begins in the vineyard, with finding the right combination of soil and climate, planting the most suitable clones and tailoring management techniques to the specific needs of the vineyard.

These estates are carefully managed by the Errazuriz viticultural team. The team is dedicated to environmentally friendly viticultural practice and are consistently innovating with micromanagement techniques, experimenting with clones and different irrigation systems. The viticultural team works hand in hand with the winemakers headed up by Francisco Baettig.


Don Maximiano Estate (Max) Vineyards - Aconcagua Valley: This 228ha Don Maximiano Estate consists of seven plots centred around Panquehue. It is here that Errazuriz produces its finest red wines, such as Don Maximiano Founders Reserve, Kai Carmenère, La Cumbre Syrah and the Max Reserva red wines. Here the sub-humid Mediterranean climate is moderated by gentle cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean, which penetrate deep into the valley. The valley's shallow, alluvial soils and high heat summation during the growing season are ideal for producing highly concentrated fruit.
 

Aconcagua Vineyard

Aconcagua Costa "Manzanar" Estate- Aconcagua Valley: This new estate is located in the Aconcagua coastal sector, just 12 km from the sea. 230 hectares have been planted to date with varieties best suited to the soil, slope and aspect of the property and in particular, the cool climate of this area. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir make up the majority of the plantings while cool climate Syrah has also been produced with excellent results.

Pioneering this vineyard in a totally new area is a bold step but one which the team at Errazuriz believes will open a new chapter in the production of wine in the Aconcagua Valley by establishing the region as a source of quality, cool climate varietals.

La Escultura Estate - Casablanca Valley: The Escultura Estate, of 75 ha, is located in the Casablanca Valley and is dedicated to the production of highly characteristic, cool climate white wines and, more recently, the Pinot Noir variety. The Casablanca Valley, located 25km from the South Pacific, is strongly influenced by morning fog during the summer and cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. This allows for a long, even ripening of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines.

Viñedo Chadwick Estate - Maipo Valley: The Viñedo Chadwick vineyard is located in Puento Alto, on the south-east border of Santiago, along the Northern bank of the Maipo river at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It is situated in one of the best areas of the Maipo Valley for growing exceptional quality.

The property stretches up to 25 hectares and was home to Don Alfonso Chadwick Errazuriz, father to Eduardo Chadwick - Vina Errazuriz's president. Besides running the family business Vina Errazuriz, Don Alfonso was a Chilean Polo Champion and he would practise his sport on the estate's Polo Field. In the spring of 1992 the polo field was planted with a selection of the best clones of Cabernet Sauvignon (12ha) and Merlot (2 ha).

The total 15 ha planted is on soils of clay loam over a stone filled riverbed of alluvial origin. The vines are spaced at 2 metres by 1.2 metres between vines, with 4,166 vines per ha. The vines are trained vertically and spur pruned. Overall the vineyard is managed using sustainable farming and micro management practices. The vineyard is divided into small blocks and each block is micro managed to ensure the best possible quality is obtained from each vine. This micro management includes a highly technical drip irrigation system that allows different irrigation patterns among the defined blocks in the vineyard.

Yields are maintained at a maximum of 5 to 7 ton/ha and at harvest time the various blocks are harvested separately and at different times. Even sections of one individual row can be harvested two or three times. Only the best grapes are selected and all are hand harvested.

The grapes from this single vineyard go to make Viñedo Chadwick, a flagship wine for Errazuriz, named in memory of the late Don Alfonso Chadwick Errazuriz.

In The Winery

The Errazuriz Winery was established in 1870 when the founder Don Maximiano Errazuriz first brought vines to the area. The original building still stands and now serves as a cellar door and dining space with the spectacular underground cellars being used for museum wine storage and hospitality.

A new temperature controlled barrel hall with a capacity of 15,000 barrels was added in 2007. Diurnal heating/cooling saves energy and areas can be separated off to provide warmer conditions for fermentation.

Two brand new winery buildings were completed in 2010; one for Max Reserva wines and one for the Errazuriz flagships. In the Max Reserva winery, a huge selection of different tank sizes, gravity flow and open top fermenters are now available to the winemaking team to give them more flexibility in their continuing quest for the best quality. The Don Maximiano Icon Winery is an architecturally stunning masterpiece with oak fermenters and environmentally friendly 'ground source' heating/cooling. Sitting alongside the original 1870 building, these new developments show the importance of respecting the company's heritage whilst having a clear vision for the future.

Robert Parker (RP) : 93+ Points (2020)
The 100% Carmenere 2020 Kai is a lot cleaner than the 2019 I tasted next to it, and it also seems like the variety behaves well in warm years like 2020. It's peppery and spicy, a year of low vigor, with lots of light and strong varietal character, nutmeg, paprika and red fruits. It has very polished and elegant tannins. They lowered the percentage of new barrels to 60% (from 70%) in the previous vintage. This is one of the finest versions of Kai. 6,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2022.

James Suckling (JS) : 95 Points (2018)
This is a very sophisticated Kai with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, violets and graphite that follow through to a full body with creamy, polished tannins that show tension and focus. The tannins are borderless. Drink or hold.

Errazuriz Don Maximiano Founder
Errazuriz Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve 2018
Errazuriz
Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve 2018
RP
94
VN
92
TA
97
The flagship wine from the Don Maximiano Estate it is complex with beautifully ripe fruit, smooth tannins, great concentration and a long finish.
115,00 €
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Errazuriz La Cumbre 2018
Errazuriz La Cumbre 2018
Errazuriz
La Cumbre 2018
RP
93
A rich and full-bodied Syrah that is full of succulent, ripe black fruit characters, smoky spice, soft tannins and a long smooth finish.
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Errazuriz Chadwick 2016
Errazuriz Chadwick 2016
Errazuriz
Chadwick 2016
RP
96
VN
94
JS
99
The ultimate Chilean icon wine, this fine blend is full-bodied with rich fruit, spicy oak, cocoa and coffee with ripe tannins, silky elegance and a lingering finish.
430,00 €
Quantity : moins plus
Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2020
Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2020
Errazuriz
Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2020
JS
93
RP
91
JR
88
Full-bodied, rich and mouth filling with creamy ripe fruit characters and toasty, spicy oak balanced by crisp acidity and a long finish.
24,50 €
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Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2019
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Errazuriz
Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2019
23,50 €
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Errazuriz Max Reserva Carmenère 2022
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Errazuriz
Max Reserva Carmenère 2022
JS
91
RP
90
WE
91
This Reserva Carmenère has a deep colour and intense flavours of forest fruits with spicy and smoky complexity.
21,50 €
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Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
Errazuriz
Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
RP
93
JS
94
WE
91
Silver Medal - 10th Annual Wines of Chile Awards - Vinified with wild yeasts for added complexity, this is an elegantly fruity Pinot Noir with great balance and structure.
24,90 €
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Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
Errazuriz
Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
RP
94
JS
92
Trophy "Best Chardonnay" - 10th Annual Wines of Chile Awards 2013 - A stunningly complex Chardonnay; toasty oak richness balanced with a steely, mineral backbone and crisp acidity.
23,90 €
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Wine regions guide
102,00 €
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