Casa Donoso Clos Centenaire 2003

Rare red of extraordinary quality, crafted from the fruit of 100-year-old vines.

This is one of the most exciting Chilean finds you'll ever come across. A unique wine, of a complexity and quality rarely found anywhere in the world, because it comes from a tiny patch of ancient vines planted over 100 years ago - vines that might have been lost for ever. Take a sip of Casa Donoso Clos Centenaire and you can't mistake Chile's hallmark upfront,velvety fruit - but there's more. Roast coffee, cedar, spice, layers of flavour and finesse that you'll usually only find in bottles at twice the price - this is a 100% perfect example of why old vines are so special.

Such pure intense fruit, but what elegance, and impeccable quality. How did they do it? The secret is in the glorious, ancient vines. Back in 1989, a family of French wine enthusiasts from Tahiti - pearl traders, no less bought a ramshackle estate in Chile's Maule Valley. The land was desperately overgrown, but the new owners set to with machetes, determined to make the best of their new possession. They could never have dreamed what they would uncover. Hacking through the tangled mess they found a patch of gnarled old vines - and stopped in their tracks. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère - this was a slice of ancient Bordeaux - vines brought over by French vignerons a century before. After painstaking restoration vine by vine, row by row, this precious vineyard now produces a desperately low yield but every tiny grape is packed with the finest, most concentrated flavour - and all of them reserved for this one, breathtaking wine-

Intense ruby with captivating aromas of coffee, dark chocolate, ripe blackberries and hints of cedar. Superb balance, lavishly ripe forest fruits, with a delicious almond twist. Just the job with Spring lamb,charcuterie or char-grilled meats. To bring out the full flavours, try decanting before serving - or simply opening a few hours before.

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