VIK
CACHAPOAL VALLEY, CHILE 2022
WHY BUY:
VIK was crowned No. 1 in the ranking of The World's 50 Best Vineyards 2025, which just tells us that folks are starting to catch on to this Chilean jewel. And now James Suckling has just lavished 99 points on the 2022 vintage of their Cabernet flagship, which comes as absolutely no surprise to us. Year in and year out they craft terroir-driven, minimal-intervention wines that are irresistible, affordable, and memorable, and with all the power, elegance, integration, length, and finish you could hope for. We’re also bringing you their Series A 2023 Cabernet, which Wine Enthusiast hailed for being "velvety" and "enticing," and which we're making available for (yes, believe it) just $20.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
Suckling could barely restrain himself over the VIK Cabernet: "What a perfume: deep, rich and complex. Minerals are chiseled into the opulent, minty blackberries, black licorice and tamarind with a touch of balsamic. Judicious oak, integrated sandalwood and dark chocolate as well. Full-bodied with a lot of refined, small-grained tannins. A persistent finish that lingers and goes on and on." The Series A is an entry-level wine, but one that wowed the Wine Enthusiast regardless, a Cabernet, it wrote, of "freshness," "enticing aromas," "velvety tannins," and "rich flavors of dark and red berries."
OUR TASTING NOTES:
The 2022 flagship opens with something unexpected: a savory complexity that feels more European than New World, with notes of leather and brine and dried thyme weaving together to transport you to someplace evocative: a place of place. Those 26 months in "barroir” barrels, fashioned from toasted local oak, have added real depth and backbone, but for all that extended maturation, and impressively, the wine hasn't lost its essential freshness, or energy, or drive. With regard to the Series A 2023, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this wine defies all logic. The velvety tannins and dark berry concentration deliver a sophistication and richness that would be noteworthy at $60 … yet this clocks in at just $20 a bottle. How did they manage to give this so much integration, and so much depth? A marvel.
THE STORY:
The saga begins in 2004 when a pair of Norwegians, Alex and Carrie Vik, ended an exhaustive two-year search for the exact right vineyard and founded their winery in Chile's Millahue Valley, a name that, fittingly, translates to "The Place of Gold.” The Viks weren't content with simply making good wine; they wanted to make wine that could fully (and powerfully) express its sense of place. Spanning 11,000 acres of diverse microclimates and soils, the estate has become something of a laboratory for R&D into new methods. Under winemaker Cristián Vallejo's guidance, VIK has developed several groundbreaking techniques to three-dimensionalize terroir, if you will, in the winemaking process. "Barroir" uses custom barrels crafted from 300-year-old oaks growing on the property itself. "Fleuroir" harnesses native yeasts inspired by the valley's unique flora. And perhaps most intriguing of all: "amphoir" employs clay amphorae handmade from estate soils. "Our clay is unique so the pores are unique," Vallejo explains. "It's about making the terroir a part of the whole process." This deeply holistic approach is heartening to hear at a time of rapidly increasing homogeneity and industrialization in the wine world.
THE METHOD:
VIK's winemaking philosophy centers on minimal intervention and maximal expression. Night-harvesting preserves freshness, while triple-sorting ensures only the most deserving grapes reach the stage of fermentation. The flagship spends 26 months aging in those innovative estate-made "barroir" barrels, developing its fascinating weave of flavors.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH:
The VIK Cabernet is a steak-lover’s dream. We love it with a juicy, grilled ribeye or porterhouse with rosemary jus, but it’s just as good beside a slow-roasted rack of lamb with black olive tapenade, or a lusty short rib tagliatelle. The Series A works beautifully with hearty everyday fare: burgers, tacos, sausage and peppers.
FUN FACT:
VIK's vast and ranging territory includes 12 sub-valleys with different microclimates, each of which is endowed with its own distinct characteristics.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate to ensure that your bottles and cases arrive as they should and as you deserve: with pristine provenance guaranteed. Secure yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NY, OK & TN. This offer will expire on Thursday, April 30th, 2026.