Four Postcards from Chile
An Evening with Postcard Imports and Marci Lary
Wine Wednesday
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Chile stretches more than 2,600 miles from north to south, crossing coastal hills, sunlit inland valleys, ancient dry-farmed vineyards, and the rain-cooled frontier of northern Patagonia. Few wine countries offer such dramatic contrasts, and this week, we will explore four of them in one evening.
Join us and special guest Marci Lary of Postcard Imports for a tasting devoted to small, distinctive Chilean producers. The wines travel from the Pacific-influenced vineyards of Colchagua to the extreme cool climate of Osorno, then to the warm days and mountain-cooled nights of Aconcagua before finishing among the old, dry-farmed vines of the Maule.
Together, they offer four very different postcards from contemporary Chile: coastal Chardonnay, Patagonian Pinot Noir, expressive Carménère, and mature Cabernet Sauvignon from the country’s historic viticultural heartland.
Coastal Colchagua
The Colchagua Valley is best known for powerful red wines, but its western reaches tell another story. As the valley approaches the Pacific, afternoon breezes moderate the warm Chilean sun, while soils combining clay, sand, and decomposed granite give white varieties both texture and freshness.
La Sirca’s Santa Ana vineyard lies approximately 40 kilometers from the ocean. This small boutique estate works on an intimate scale, producing characterful wines that reflect the meeting point between Colchagua’s generous sunshine and its cooling maritime influence.
2022 La Sirca Kokon Chardonnay
Colchagua Valley
Kokon is 100% Chardonnay from the Santa Ana vineyard. Its coastal setting brings freshness to naturally ripe fruit, while aging in French oak builds texture and complexity without obscuring the vineyard’s mineral character.
Aromas of citrus, yellow apple, ripe peach, and subtle toasted nuts lead into a broad, creamy palate. The wine has real volume, but lively acidity and a gentle saline quality keep it balanced. Its long finish brings together ripe orchard fruit, understated oak, and a refreshing mineral edge.
Why We’re Pouring It
This is an unexpected side of Colchagua. Rather than the rich red wine for which the valley is famous, Kokon demonstrates how proximity to the Pacific can produce Chardonnay with both generosity and energy. It is a compelling meeting of New World ripeness and coastal restraint.
Chile’s Patagonian Frontier
From central Chile, we travel far south to the Osorno Valley in the Región de Los Lagos. Viticulture here operates near the climatic limit: rain, humidity, frost, and cold nights make grape growing difficult, but they also create the conditions for Pinot Noir with vivid acidity and a distinctly earthy personality.
Trapi del Bueno’s vineyards occupy north-facing slopes in the coastal hills near La Unión. Ancient volcanic ash, clay, and multicolored volcanic stones form complex soils beneath the vines. The estate was created by longtime friends, winemaker Rodrigo Romero and agronomist Luis Moller, whose small-production wines emphasize native fermentation, used oak, and minimal intervention.
2020 Trapi del Bueno Hand Made Pinot Noir
Osorno Valley, Chilean Patagonia
This 100% Pinot Noir comes from one of Chile’s southernmost established wine regions. The cool climate preserves acidity and draws out the variety’s perfume, while the volcanic soils contribute savory depth and a firm mineral undertone.
The 2020 shows ripe strawberry, raspberry, and dark cherry alongside forest floor, dried leaves, tea, and gentle spice. It is medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and more structure than its pale ruby color might suggest. Fine but present tannins frame an earthy, fruit-filled finish.
Why We’re Pouring It
Osorno remains one of Chile’s most exciting viticultural frontiers, and Trapi del Bueno is among its defining small producers. This is Pinot Noir shaped by a genuinely extreme environment, not an imitation of Burgundy, but a distinctive Patagonian expression with freshness, earthiness, and character.
The Aconcagua Valley
Returning north, the Aconcagua Valley lies between the Andes and Chile’s Coastal Range. Warm, bright days allow late-ripening grapes to develop fully, while cold nights and cooling breezes preserve acidity. Carménère is particularly successful here, gaining ripe fruit and supple texture without losing its characteristic savory spice.
Californians Ed Flaherty and Jenny Hoover arrived in Chile for a harvest in 1993 and stayed. After years of working within the Chilean wine industry, they established Flaherty Wines in 2004 with just 1,200 bottles. Their artisanal winery in Santa María has become a benchmark for independent, small-production Aconcagua wine.
2022 Flaherty Viñedo Ocoa Carménère
Aconcagua Valley
This Carménère-led wine comes from the Ocoa sector of Aconcagua, where alluvial and colluvial soils, mountain influence, and wide day-to-night temperature changes help the variety achieve both ripeness and freshness. A small contribution from Cabernet Sauvignon adds lift and structure.
Dark cherry, blackberry, plum, and ripe berry aromas are layered with sweet spice, roasted red pepper, dried herbs, and a touch of cocoa. The palate is juicy and polished, with smooth tannins, medium body, and enough acidity to keep the dark fruit lively. Savory spice returns on the compact, persistent finish.
Why We’re Pouring It
Carménère can become overly soft or overtly green when grown in the wrong place. Aconcagua offers the long season it needs to ripen its fruit and tannins while retaining its savory identity. Flaherty’s version captures that balance beautifully and offers an expressive introduction to Chile’s signature red grape.
Old Vines in the Maule
Our final stop is the Loncomilla Valley, within the larger Maule region. This is one of Chile’s historic wine landscapes, characterized by rolling hills, granitic soils, old vines, and a long tradition of dry farming. Winter rainfall supplies the vines with the water they must rely upon throughout the growing season.
Francisco Gillmore founded his family estate in 1990 after discovering old vineyards at Tabontinaja in the coastal drylands near San Javier. Today, his daughter Daniella Gillmore and winemaker Andrés Sánchez continue the project. Many of the estate’s varieties are grafted onto century-old País root systems, connecting its fine-wine ambitions directly to the history of the Maule.
2015 Gillmore Hacedor de Mundos Cabernet Sauvignon
Loncomilla Valley, Maule
Hacedor de Mundos comes from low-yielding, dry-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon vines rooted in deep, granitic alluvial and colluvial soils. Hand harvesting, small production, and extended barrel aging give the wine concentration and structure; more than a decade of bottle age has now added another dimension.
The 2015 opens with blackberry, red currant, and plum, followed by tobacco, earth, hazelnut, cedar, and warm spice. The palate remains full and structured, but its tannins have softened into a smooth, settled texture. Fresh acidity carries the mature fruit and savory complexity through a long finish.
Why We’re Pouring It
This bottle provides a chance to taste both the character of Loncomilla’s old vines and the transformation that comes with age. It is the deepest and most evolved wine in the flight, and a fitting conclusion to the journey.
Four Landscapes, One Remarkable Wine Country
Tasted together, these wines reveal a Chile far more diverse than any single grape or familiar regional style can convey. Coastal influence gives Chardonnay freshness and texture; Patagonia pushes Pinot Noir toward vivid acidity and earthy complexity; Aconcagua provides Carménère with the long season it needs; and the dry-farmed Maule brings history, concentration, and longevity to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Join Marci Lary and the Boulder Wine Merchant team as we travel through four landscapes, four independent producers, and four distinctive expressions of modern Chile.
Wine Wednesday
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Explore. Taste. Learn.