Chile’s Maule Valley provides the backdrop for Morandé’s Pionero range of wines.

I’ve long been a fan of Chile’s Viña Morandé and its ability to offer interesting, savoury wines at great prices. Established in 1996, the winery was a pioneer in recognizing the potential of Chile’s Casablanca Valley, with founder Pablo Morandé reportedly being the first to plant vines there. But it’s the Maule Valley, located 300 kms to the south, that takes the spotlight for Viña Morandé’s Pionero wine range, featured below. The Pionero label, by the way, features a stylistic image of Pablo, symbolizing the winery’s innovative and adventurous ethos.

There’s no disputing that Pionero is more of an entry-level range, but the quality-price ration is solid.

Morandé 2024 Pionero Reserva Sauvignon Blanc — Maule Valley, Chile ($11.60)
(13% alc. 4 grams sugar.)
This Sauvignon Blanc delivers on freshness and typicity. The nose is aromatic with plenty of lime, green apple and a hint of cut grass, although it lacks the mineral tension found in higher-tier expressions of the grape. On the palate, it’s crisp and lively, with sour apple leading the way, but veers slightly too acidic without enough mid-palate weight or complexity to counterbalance. Still, it makes for an easy-drinking white with seafood or summer salads. 86

Morandé 2022 Pionero Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon —Maule Valley, Chile ($11.60)
(14% alc. 4 grams of sugar.)
This cab shows ambition. The nose opens with promising dark berry notes—cassis, plum, raspberries and a trace of mocha. Medium-bodied, the palate comes across as s a younger wine than its 2022 vintage might suggest—perhaps owing to being primarily aged in steel, with a chunk aged in neutral oak. It’s not a layered red to be sure, but the juice is pure Cabernet. And it’s better with food (pair it up with burgers and pizza.) While it’s not the first bottle of the night I’d open, it’s well-priced as a follow-up. 86