Puntí FerrerViñedos y Bodega
Puntí FerrerViñedos y Bodega
Who decides which Chilean wines are the best, how to read a score, which valley does what, and where Puntí Ferrer stands, with the real numbers.
The best Chilean wines, according to the international critics who taste the country every year, are led by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-based blends from the central valleys, followed by Carménère, cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and a growing group of Pinot Noir and old-vine field blends. This guide, written by a Chilean producer, explains who decides what «best» means, how to read a score, which valley does what, and where our own wines stand, with the actual numbers.
There is no single ranking. Four sources carry most weight with importers and sommeliers, and they do not always agree:
A wine that appears in two or three of these lists in the same year is a safer bet than a wine that tops one of them.
All of them score out of 100, but each critic uses their own scale, so a 92 from one is not the same as a 92 from another. Three rules keep the reading honest:
| Grape | Where the top scores come from | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Cabernet Sauvignon | Maipo (Puente Alto, Pirque), Cachapoal, Colchagua | Chile’s flagship: cassis, graphite, firm but ripe tannin; the icons age 15 years or more. |
| Carménère | Cachapoal (Peumo, Rengo), Colchagua, Maule | Chile’s signature grape: red and black fruit, spice, soft tannin. Needs warm sites to ripen fully. |
| Sauvignon Blanc | Casablanca, San Antonio/Leyda, Limarí, Cachapoal coast | Citrus and herbs with sea-breeze acidity; the best are among the most awarded whites of South America. |
| Chardonnay | Limarí, Casablanca, Malleco | Mineral, taut, often on limestone; a Limarí Chardonnay has topped a national Top 100. |
| Pinot Noir | Casablanca, San Antonio, Aconcagua, Malleco | Cool-climate reds with red fruit and freshness, improving fast. |
| Old-vine blends (País, Carignan, Cinsault) | Maule, Itata, Bío Bío | Dry-farmed vines up to a century old; the most exciting category for sommeliers. |
| Syrah | Elqui, Limarí, Aconcagua coast | Peppery, savoury; small volumes but high scores. |
For a fuller tour of the valleys and grapes, see our pillar guide to Chilean wine (in Spanish) and the Cachapoal Valley.
Viña Puntí Ferrer, a family winery in Rengo, Cachapoal Valley, has six wines with published scores from four of the critics above. The highest is 93 points from James Suckling for the Serie Tinajas Red Blend 2024, a red fermented in clay amphorae.
| Points | Critic | Wine and vintage | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93 | James Suckling | Serie Tinajas Red Blend 2024 | Innovation Series |
| 92 | James Suckling | Conforme Carménère 2023 | Conforme |
| 92 | Wine Enthusiast | Conforme Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 | Conforme |
| 91 | Vinous | Reserva Pinot Noir 2023 | Reserva |
| 90 | Tim Atkin MW (Best of Chile) | Huevos del Loco Sauvignon Blanc 2025 | Innovation Series |
| 90 | Wine Enthusiast | Gran Reserva Carménère 2023 | Gran Reserva |
We publish the vintage next to every number because that is how a score should be read. All seven lines, with tasting notes and technical sheets, are on our wines; the full list of scores is on awards and scores.
«Best» for a shelf is not the same as «best» for a critic. In our experience exporting to more than 20 markets, buyers who do well with Chile follow three rules: choose one or two grapes the market already understands (Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc almost everywhere, Carménère where Chile is established), take a scored wine in the reserva tier as the anchor, and build the rest of the range around price points rather than medals. A producer that covers several tiers from one winery, with bottled wine, private label and bulk, makes that easier. See Chilean wines for importers and bottled wine from Chile.
By critic consensus, the top-scoring Chilean wines are Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends from Maipo and the central valleys, with cool-climate Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc increasingly at the top of national rankings. No single wine holds the title every year.
Cabernet Sauvignon by volume and reputation, and Carménère as the country’s signature grape. Sauvignon Blanc is the most awarded white.
Yes. On the 100-point scales used by James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast, Vinous and Tim Atkin, 90 and above marks a wine of distinguished quality for its category.
Maipo and Cachapoal for Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère, Casablanca and Leyda for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, Limarí for Chardonnay, and Maule and Itata for old-vine blends.
The Serie Tinajas Red Blend 2024, with 93 points from James Suckling, followed by the Conforme Carménère 2023 (92, James Suckling) and the Conforme Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (92, Wine Enthusiast).
Yes. We sell directly to importers and distributors in more than 20 markets. Write to andrespunti@puntiferrer.com with your market and the lines you are interested in.