The red blend House of Morandé, a flagship of Chile’s Viña Morandé, continues to earn accolades in 2025. The 2022 vintage ranked among the best red blends in the Guía Descorchados, scoring 97 points, and received 95 points from Zekun Shuai, editor and critic at James Suckling.

The 2021 vintage also stood out, earning 95 points in the 2024 edition of the Decanter World Wine Awards, widely regarded as the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. The label also took Gold and was named Best Wine of the Maipo Valley.

Being recognized as the top representative of its home region is not new for House of Morandé. The Guía Descorchados awarded it the same title earlier in 2024, adding a 98-point score. In previous vintages, the publication had already recognized it as Best Red, Best Red Blend, and Best Maipo Andes.

What sets House of Morandé apart

House of Morandé is the embodiment of an exceptional terroir, a story of innovation, and an unwavering commitment to quality.

The wine was created in 1999 from vineyards in Alto Maipo, considered the best terroir for Bordeaux-style blends in Chile. Its original winemaker was Pablo Morandé, founder of Viña Morandé, who wanted to express in a red wine the full potential of this promising region.

The vines were planted on the slopes of Cerro Chena, in San Bernardo, where the soils are deep, gravelly, and clay-rich. Long, dry summers combined with cool mountain breezes are essential for full grape ripening, resulting in fruit of high flavor quality and health.

Since 2014, the project has been led by winemaker Ricardo Baettig. From that harvest, and especially from 2017 onward, Baettig implemented vineyard management practices including earlier picking, reduced irrigation, and selective green work. These changes helped preserve freshness and structure, aligning the wine with contemporary trends without losing its traditional essence.

One of the most notable innovations in House of Morandé’s process was the combination of barrels with large-format foudres for aging. After 12 months in barrels, the wine rests another 6 months in German and French oak foudres with light toasting, creating a more refined aromatic profile and well-integrated tannins, highlighting the elegance of Alto Maipo. The wine is also decanted for two months before bottling and rests an additional year in the cellar, ensuring every bottle reaches its optimal expression.

These decisions shaped the current profile of House of Morandé: powerful tannic structure, austere yet expressive fruit and vibrant freshness, reflecting its origin. “It’s a wine suited to today’s palate and what we consider a more modern Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon, while always maintaining House’s spirit: broad structure and aging potential. A truly magnificent wine!”, emphasizes Ricardo Baettig.