Appellation · Chile
Cachapoal Valley
The northern half of the Rapel Valley, warm and sheltered, and a serious source of Carmenère.
Carmenère with plum, green peppercorn and soy-like savouriness; ripe, soft Cabernet Sauvignon. Full-bodied and generous.
About Cachapoal Valley
Cachapoal forms the northern half of the Rapel Valley and is sheltered from coastal influence by the Coastal Range, making it warm and dry.
It ripens Carmenère more reliably than most of Chile — the variety needs a long season and is often picked in late May.
The Alto Cachapoal, in the Andean foothills, is cooler and makes firmer Cabernet Sauvignon.
What the name means
- Legal name
- Valle del Cachapoal DO
- Type
- Geographical indication
- Set by
- Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG), Chile
- Recognised
- 1995
- Regulates
- Origin only. It sets no rules about varieties, yields, ageing or winemaking.
A nationally registered indication of origin outside the systems enumerated above. What it controls varies by jurisdiction and is recorded on the individual record.
Grapes
Wines from here
red
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
Reliable, cassis-driven Cabernet with a distinctive mint or eucalyptus note — and consistently among the best value in the world.
red
Chilean Carmenère
Chile’s signature variety: plush dark fruit with a savoury green-peppercorn and soy character, from a grape mistaken for Merlot for a century.
What to eat, and how to serve it
Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
Serve at 16–18°C (cool room temperature).
Try with roast chicken, fillet steak or grilled chicken.
Where to go next
Places worth trying if you like this one — neighbours, rivals, and the obvious step across.
- Colchagua Valley — A warm valley in the Rapel region, known for ripe Carmenère, Cabernet and Syrah.
- Maipo Valley — Chile’s historic Cabernet Sauvignon heartland, just south of Santiago.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Wines of Chile — Wines of Chile