2022 Zapallar Pinot Noir, Outer Limits by Montes

• Style: Coastal Pinot Noir, light-bodied, mineral-edged
• Taste: Bright raspberry, strawberry, cherry with damp earth and herb whispers
• Food: Roast dinners, cured meats, mushroom, poultry, pasta
• Occasion: Weeknight, Sunday lunch
• Serve: 14% ABV, chill and enjoy now or age a few years

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Seven kilometres from the Pacific, this Pinot Noir delivers bright raspberry and strawberry up front, layered with damp earth and herb whispers, all anchored by subtle vanilla warmth from French oak. The palate is lithe and balanced, rounded tannins carrying the fruit through without heaviness, leaving you refreshed. Built on bright acidity at 14% alcohol, this is a wine that wants to dance across the table.

The Winery — Montes

Montes established the 45-hectare Zapallar Vineyard in the Aconcagua Valley in the late 1980s with a vision to push Chilean viticulture toward its outer limits—the coastal frontier. The 2022 vintage arrived in ideal conditions: a cool, dry growing season that concentrated flavours without forcing ripeness. Zapallar's granite soils, graced with morning maritime breezes, are hand-picked and cold-soaked for five days to coax colour and aroma from thin skins, then split between skin contact and whole-wine fermentation to preserve both structure and fresh fruit character. This careful approach yields wines you can enjoy now or cellar for a few years as complexity deepens.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Roasted chicken, soft cheeses like Brie or aged goat cheese, and cured meats all sing alongside this wine. It pairs equally well with mushroom dishes and pasta, making it an everyday glass or a thoughtful gift for someone who appreciates restraint and precision over oak-heavy showiness. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly, this sits proudly among our Aconcagua Valley selection and represents one of the finest examples we've found from a region that has quietly become essential to understanding modern Chile.