Wine Reviews

Perennially one of the more opulent offerings in the Montes lineup, the 2022 Purple Angel opens with a dramatically dark, spice-laden bouquet dominated by roasted, toasty aromas of new, high-quality oak. The mouthfeel is certainly one of the most, if not the most, lavish, creamy and enveloping in the lineup, bound by a lusciously sweet core. The finish is long and punchy, lingering with immense layers of oak-derived richness threaded with ripe fruit flavors and propped up by just enough tannic structure to retain overall balance. While the considerable success this wine has achieved certainly speaks to its commercial viability, I can’t say I see the same degree of evolution here as I do in the rest of Montes’s roster.

It presents a tarry, spice-driven bouquet that evolves into resinous, herbal aromas with aeration. The palate is strikingly ripe and has a voluptuous texture, concluding with a sweet, luscious finish infused with oak.

A nose of baked berries brings to mind delicious notes of cranberry pie. Flavors of mulberries, blackberries and raspberries merge with integrated wood spices and Carménère’s signature notes of herbs in the background. The wine’s muscular structure suggests it will age wonderfully.

The 2022 Purple Angel took grapes from Apalta and Marchigüe in Colchagua. Aged for up to 18 months—70% in new oak, the rest in used barrels designed specifically for this blend (the “Beta” barrel). With a dark profile, it opens with aromas of ash, spice, green pepper and black fruit, alongside tobacco and oak tones. Plush in texture with subtle grip, this is a complex, serious Carménère with a spicy core and dark expression. It’s far from jammy. The 2022 has personality and presence.

The wine is rich and melted, with masses of fine tannins that deliver a plush, hedonistic finish full of sleek, sweet fruit. Big yet nicely balanced and long.