Red hot Chiles

Popular as its wines have become, Chile has been slow in producing the competitive pounds 10-plus red. At a recent tasting though, one of a handful of expensive Chileans cried out to be squirreled away for the views of a group of visiting Bordeaux chateau owners. As the cat came out of the bag, the Bordelais were amazed - and not a little concerned - to see such classy, oak-influenced aromas of vanilla and coffee and rich, cassis-like fruitiness emerging from Chile. This was Santa Rita's 1995 Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Casa Real apart, other Bordeaux-style reds include Concha y Toro's 1993 Don Melchor, its1994 Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmen's richly cassis-centred1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Gold Reserve, and, in a more old-fashioned style, Cousino Macul. Valdivieso's 1995 Cabernet Franc Reserve, pounds 7.99, Safeway, Bibendum, London NW1 (0171 722 5577), with its beautifully perfumed, intensely flavoured fruit, also shows the potential of cabernet franc, the grape which plays a major role in St Emilion.

On a more affordable note, the delightfully spicy 1994 Casillero del Diablo, Maipo Valley, pounds 4.99, Sainsbury's, confirms Chile's reputation for good cabernet sauvignon at under pounds 5. La Palma's 1995 Reserve Cabernet Merlot, La Rosa, pounds 4.99, Sainsbury's has a dainty, almost malty bouquet and lovely ripe, supple, essence of blackcurrant fruitiness.

With its youthful fresh fruit flavours reminiscent of juicy blackcurrant and plum, and its velvet-smooth suppleness, Chilean merlot still does the job at the price that its claret counterpart can't do. It may not have the finesse or backbone for ageing of Saint Emilion or Pomerol, but when it's enhanced by the vanilla spiciness of French oak or the bourbon- like toastiness of American oak, Chilean merlot offers a melt-in-the-mouth voluptuousness that's hard to resist. The best will age for up to five years, but by and large, they are wines which hit the spot here and now.

Within a few weeks of beaujolais nouveau's apologetic arrival, the first 1996 Chilean merlots to hit the shelf were already showing an accessible, beguiling soft fruitiness: wines such as the succulently minty, herbaceous 1996 Arlequin, pounds 4.99, Majestic, from the Dona Javiera Estate, and Santa Rita's elemental 1996 Medalla Real Merlot, pounds 6.99, Oddbins, full of tobacco- like spiciness, mint and ripe, cherryish fruit, and well worth squirreling away for a few months. The consistently sumptuous 1995 Concha y Toro Merlot, pounds 3.99-pounds 4.45, Waitrose, Unwins, is also excellent value, while the 1994 Casillero Del Diablo Merlot, pounds 4.99, Sainsbury's, with its rich blackcurrant fruit is another winner at pounds 4.99.

From Alvaro Espinoza, one of Chile's best young talents, the 1995 Carmen Reserve Merlot, pounds 5.99, M&S, is a smoky confection with cinnamon spice and a touch of mint overlaying its attractive, almost Australian-style, modern fruitiness, while the exuberant cassis fruit and delightful spiciness of the1995 Casa Lapostolle Merlot, pounds 6.49, Oddbins, scores for value over the oakier, more structured, but still fine 1994 Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre.

Chile now exceeds sales of two million cases in this country. Producers, anxious to keep the UK happy, have kept prices rises to 2 per cent against a general hike of 13 per cent. Along with worldwide demand, a serious shortfall of red wine in California and talk of drought (bad for quantity, good for quality), suggest that Chile's price honeymoon may soon be over. The Wines of Chile office says prices this year will rise between seven and ten per cent across the board. So gather ye merlots (and cabernets) while ye may