Tasting Notes: 

This wine is aged for 12 months in French Oak barrels and has a fruit nose filled with cherries, plums and spices. On the palate you have fairly grippy tannins, dark chocolate, black fruits and a soft, smooth finish. 

Cousino Macul Wines: 

Cousino Macul winery, founded in 1854, is the only 19th century winery still owned by their original founding family. 

The Dama de Plata Cabernet Sauvignon, aka the Silver Lady is named after winery founder Isidora Goyenechea. Isidora founded the winery with her husband Luis and actually took over the reigns after his death, becoming one of the first female entrepreneurs in Chile. This label is dedicated to her by the women in her family who still work in and run the winery today.

Cabernet Sauvignon:

Cabernet Sauvignon is perhaps the most famous of the classic grape varietals. The grape is the result of a natural cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon is a big rich wine. Because of its structure and power, truly great Cabernet needs both oak and bottle aging. It is also a wine that changes a great deal over time, in part because of those rich tannins, which act as a preservative and extend the life of the wine. When young cabernet can often be angular and introverted but when aged can transform into something powerfully rich and silky smooth. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes have very thick skin, which leads to wines with high levels of tannins and deep pigmentation.

Maipo Valley, Chile: 

Maipo Valley is one of Chile's most important wine-producing regions. Located just south of the capital, Santiago, Maipo Valley is home to some of the country's most prestigious wines. It is often described as the 'Bordeaux of South America', and rich, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtedly its most celebrated wine style. The Maipo Valley is the home of viticulture in Chile. The first vines were planted around Santiago at the city's founding in the 1540s, but it wasn't until the 1800s that viticulture began to expand significantly, as an indirect result of entrepreneurial Chileans growing rich from the mineral wealth found in the Atacama Desert to the north. 

It became fashionable for these wealthy individuals to travel to France, and they inevitably returned home with vines to plant in their new, French-influenced wine estates. Ever since the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines were transported to Chile from Bordeaux during in the 19th century, this sun-loving grape has been the driving force behind the country’s wine industry. WIth famous vineyards of Cousino Macul, Concha Y Toro and Santa Rita that were developed during this period, and they remain today important names in the Chilean wine industry. 

Food & Wine Pairing: 

Cabernet Sauvignon's flavors are intense, which means that it can easily overpower a more delicate dish. Big tannins need balance and fatty protein is one of the more perfect ways to achieve that balance. For this reason, steak and Cab are a classic pairing. Grilled foods especially are a great match because that lovely char from the grill with its slightly bitter notes nicely mirrors the slight bitterness of the tannins.