This was one of my favorite producers when I first came to Chile, but it’s been almost 5 years since I last tasted one of their wines. Are they still one of my favorites?
Revisiting Wines
I’ve written about this before, but I’ll keep saying it: it’s important to revisit wines. For example, there are wines that show poorly for various reasons like being poorly stored, too young, too old, too cold, too warm or just an off bottle. It could be the vintage, the producer, wine glass, wine pairing, etc. Therefore, any particular rating or one-time tasting of a wine should not be the final verdict. Moreover, with climate change and new trends in winemaking, many producers continue to improve their wines. On the other hand, some rest on their laurels and/or don’t keep up with trends for better or worse.
In this case, Villalobos was a wine I liked when I first came to Chile. During my first year here, I bought a lot of commercial wines that were easy to find mixed in with some affordable boutique wineries like Villalobos. Especially with the blog but even before the blog, I’m always trying to explore new varieties, regions, producers, winemaking styles/techniques and vintages. Although I do have some go-to wines that I come back to often, I believe variety is the spice of life. Villalobos is one of those producers I just forgot about and ignored on the shelf because I’m constantly looking for something new to spice things up or to feature in the blog. However, maybe my tastes have changed. Maybe this producer has changed. We’ll see if I still like them.
Villalobos Wine
Plus, I’ve never featured this producer in a blog post, but they’ve been around long enough to have a good reputation here in Chile and export abroad to the US and UK. Villalobos particularly stands out for making wines from vines growing wild in the countryside. These are 60+ year old vines growing amongst trees, bushes, flowers and other fruit. J Bouchon is another producer I’ve reviewed that does this. In addition, Villalobos is a low intervention, small production winery although their lineup seems bigger than I remember. I don’t remember them producing Semillon or Cabernet Sauvignon before. I had only had their Cinsault-Pais and Carignan before. This time around, I’m going to revisit their Carignan and try their Carmenere for the first time. 
Tasting Notes
2020 Villalobos Lobo Carmenere Colchagua
Native yeasts with no wood, just stainless steel. Non-filtered. 86% Carmenere with 10% Pais and 4% Carignan, and this reminds me more of Carignan in its red fruit and tangy profile. However, there are also tomato leaf, green pepper and savory notes throughout too. Soft-tannins. Low alcohol. Something that gives you the essence of Carmenere without the oak in a more rustic, lighter and fresh style as opposed to most Chilean Carmenere. Antiyal’s top Carmenere is also unoaked, but it’s aged in concrete which lets it breathe more so you get the texture, body and ripeness of modern Carmenere but also the red fruit profile. It’s a lot pricier of course. This one is for a more casual meal at less than $15. 90 On the 3rd day or so, it held up well, reminding me of 12+ year old Bordeaux. Despite not having any oak, there was a spicy side to it.
2020 Villalobos Silvestre Carignan Colchagua
Native yeasts in stainless steel and then aged 18 months in old neutral French barrels. Unfiltered. These come from wild vines growing up trees in Lolol. Lighter in color than most Chilean Carignan. Cloudy appearance. I really like the nose. It’s red fruit, elegant and floral with a bit of spice. The palate is also lighter than most with typical red fruit and acidity but also some herbal greenness. Low alcohol. Resolved tannins. Often times I say Chilean VIGNO Carignan takes me to Tuscan Sangiovese, but the nose almost takes me to Pinot Noir while the palate is a more rustic style of Chilean Carignan. 92
Conclusion
Villalobos make wild, interesting wines that reflect the terroir these wild vines are grown in. They are low intervention and rustic, but elegant and clean enough for broad appeal too. The acid and low alcohol make them great with food too. I’m glad I revisited them and shared them with a visitor to Chile because they offer an authentic taste of Chile beyond the commercial Chilean wines at just as good of a QPR as those commercial ones. If you can find them, I recommend them.