Aresti
Aresti Winery is a family-owned winery that was founded in 1951 by Vicente Aresti and his father-in-law Alfredo López. Originally known as Bellavista Estate, Aresti believed that the Curico Valley was the ideal place for his vineyards. Over the years the family purchased new land throughout Chile to plant their Aresti Vineyards. By 1999, the brand name and label had switched over to Aresti and a state of the art cellar and bottling plant was constructed. The new winery also included an underground, climate controlled barrel room to house up to 2,000 barrels according to our Aresti wine reviews. Aresti wines are available in 5 different lines from their value Estate Selection to their top tier Family Collection red blend. Nine different grape varieties are used to produce the various wines in the Aresti portfolio, however it is their Limited Release and Family Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere blends that tend to find the top of our Aresti wine ratings. To see which of their wines are right for you check out our Aresti wine buying guide below.
Aresti 2005 Sauvignon Blanc (Curicó Valley)
- $9
A blowsy, full-bodied version with round aromas of apple and melon and fairly similar flavors. Not a ton of acidity on this wine so it comes across easy, almost honeyed. Sweet and easy to drink.
— M.S.
(7/1/2006)
Aresti 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Curicó Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $9
A tiny bit stony on the nose, with touches of powdered sugar and green pepper. Citrus and green apple work the palate, followed by a snappy, generally clean finish. Fully charged and pretty good for under $10.
— M.S.
(11/15/2006)
Aresti 2005 Carmenère (Curicó Valley)
- $9
Early aromas of balsam wood, green herbs and olive are backed by dark fruit notes, while the palate delivers playful raspberry flavors alongside olive. It’s a bit acidic but short on the finish. Typical and pretty good as a whole.
— M.S.
(5/1/2007)
Aresti 2006 A Chardonnay (Curicó Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $9
Sweet on the nose, with welcoming almond, pear and citrus blossom notes. The palate is also on the sweet side, with slightly sugary pear and cantaloupe flavors. With medium intensity and ample body weight, this is your textbook-style midlevel Chilean Chardonnay. It’s plump, candied and monotone in its approach.
— M.S.
(3/1/2008)
Aresti 2005 Reserve Merlot (Rio Claro)
- Online Exclusive
- $14
Fiery and spicy on the nose, with jabby red-fruit flavors of raspberry and pie cherry. The wine is a touch tart and snappy, and the finish is taxed as herbal notes and oak fill the gaps. Very much a typical Chilean Merlot.
— M.S.
(3/1/2008)
Aresti 2007 Estate Selection Chardonnay (Curicó Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $13
Based on the number of 84s we’ve assigned to Aresti’s Chardonnays over the years, that seems to be where this winery has settled. This vintage is more of the same: it’s light, lemony and salinic, with flavors of green melon, grapefruit and lettuce. A little dilute on the finish, but decent as a whole.
— M.S.
(7/1/2009)
Aresti 2007 Estate Selection Sauvignon Blanc (Curicó Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $13
Plump but wholly generic, with semisweet aromas that are neither here nor there. The palate is round, with adequate to good mouthfeel. And the flavors of citrus are solid but kind of pithy and bitter. A full, chunky wine with virtues as well as some flaws. Drink right away for best results.
— M.S.
(3/1/2009)
Aresti 2006 Estate Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (Curicó Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $13
Floral fruit aromas and some crustiness give it a solid nose, and the palate of cherry, raspberry and plum is clacky but fresh. The feel is medium at best and grabby, with modest structure and crisp, light tannins. A simple wine for simple occasions.
— M.S.
(7/1/2009)
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