July’s first light dusting of white over the Andes in signals a change of season as winter brings its annual charge of snow and a guarantee of irrigation for next summer’s vintage from the snowmelt waters of the Andes. The drought-inducing effects of La Niña in 2008 brought the driest vintage to Chile since 1999, but thanks to its copious supply of mountain waters, Chile isn’t crippled by drought like Australia. The new vintage sauvignons blancs already look invitingly aromatic and refreshing, and if winemakers are generally happy with the quality of the red wines, they’re in raptures over the 2007 reds. Many believe that 2007 surpasses the fine 2005 and 2003 vintage in quality. If so, there’s every good reason to think that this vintage will enhance Chile’s growing reputation as a producer not just of good value varietals but of superior quality reds and whites too.

If it’s because of isolation and language that Chile speaks of its progress with a quieter voice than Australia, South Africa or New Zealand, that’s no reason to think that it doesn’t have as much to communicate. In fact recent years have seen a sea-change in Chilean wines for a variety of reasons. Exporting the equivalent of four in every five bottles produced makes it the biggest exporter pro rata of any major wine producing country. Yet Chileans themselves are at last waking up to the improved quality of their own country’s wines. They have started to buy and demand better, both on the Santiago high street and in restaurants. Ten years ago ‘red or white’ would do but go to a Chilean household for dinner today and eyebrows are raised if you haven’t spent £10-odd on a cabernet sauvignon, syrah, sauvignon blanc or a wine of at least the quality of an Errazuriz, a Montes, a Medalla Real or Marques de Casa Concha.

The most dramatic signs of progress are to be seen in the expansion of the Chilean wine map. The first extension runs 1200s kilometres from the northern valleys of Elqui and Limarí down south to Bío- Bío along the north-south Andean backbone. Equally significant is the expansion of the east-west axis as the Pacific Ocean fogs and the poor but vine-friendly soils of the coastal ranges have become recognised as significant influences. Hence considerable excitement at the extension of cool Casablanca Valley to the San Antonio and Leyda Valleys close to the Pacific for grape varieties like aromatic sauvignon blanc and crisp chardonnay, of Elqui and Limarí up north and Bío-Bío down south for scented whites, syrah and pinot noir. The importation of improved plant material is also starting to play a major role in improving the quality of just about every grape variety with the possible exception of the more established cabernet sauvignon and carmenère.

It’s a curious phenomenon that until relatively recently Chile was somewhat confused about what it had planted in the ground. First what it thought was sauvignon turned out to be a poor relation and then its ‘merlot’ turned out to be the ancient Bordeaux variety carmenère. After reluctantly accepting reality, Chile has turned this usp to its advantage by replacing merlot in its affections with carmenère. With the emergence of cooler regions, the potential for good value pinot noir is enormous, while syrah (Australia’s shiraz) is showing the most rapid growth for its equal potential. As our palates become increasingly stultified by the powerful warm climate shirazes of Australia and South Africa, Chile is capable of a more amenable and refreshing alternative with its growing population of spicy, peppery, cool climate syrahs. Don’t be fooled by all these developments though into thinking that the welcome growth in alternatives will replace cabernet sauvignon any time soon. With 40,000 hectares under vine, considerably more than Bordeaux in fact, cabernet is still king and the crown is safe for the foreseeable future.

Something for the Weekend

Under a Fiver

2007 Cono Sur Viognier, £4.99, reduced from £5.99, Somerfield, to Tuesday

From Concha y Toro’s consistently good value sibling brand, Cono Sur, this scented Chilean dry white displays ripe, opulent peachy aromas, a rounded peachy mid-palate and balancing citrusy freshness on the finish.

Under a Tenner

2005 Corralillo Chardonnay, Matetic, £9.99, Marks & Spencer.

This Chilean chardonnay from the biodynamic vineyards of Matetic close to the Pacific Ocean in San Antonio’s Rosario Valley, is rich in vanilla fudge aromas and fruit flavours with an attractively peachy quality, all finely crafted in the burgundian mould.

Splash Out

2005 Viñedo Chadwick, £40, Waitrose Wine Direct and 14 branches.

Ambitiously priced as it seems, this pure cabernet sauvignon from Puente Alto, Chile’s Médoc in the Maipo Valley, is one of the country’s leading Bordeaux-style reds with stylish cedary oak aromas, richly endowed cassis fruit, and the sort of savoury acidity and firm tannic backbone that could easily be mistaken for top Bordeaux.