Felipe Müller of Tabali Winery has deserved his most recent crowning as Winemaker of the Year in Tim Atkin's Special Report Chile 2025.
Sarah was lucky enough to visit Tabali with Felipe on a visit to Chile a few years ago where she experienced first hand not only the fabulous wines, stunning location and perfect hospitality, but crested a lasting partnership with Felipe, which we continue to build on.
On sending our congratulations to him, Felipe replied to us saying,
Tabali wines are in their best moment, and the winemaker of the year award is not only a proof quality of the wines but also consistency throughout the years!
Since joining Tabali in 2006 and under his guidance, Felipe has been driven by his philosophy which centres on both respecting and representing the sense of place in all his wines. The wines created truly express their origin and demonstrate the potential of the limestone rich soils and cool coastal influences of the Limari Valley.
Beyond wine making, he has overseen a joint initiative which culminated in the creation of the Tatié sparkling wines, where Chilean terroir and French expertise work together with award winning results.
Chile is currently the world’s seventh biggest wine producer and the third largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Increasingly focused on terroir, Chile’s plantings are considerably more diverse than people think. Some of the highlights of Tim Atkins report, based on a 3 week trip, tasting 1096 wines from 172 wineries really showcase the diversity, quality and unique exciting wines coming out of Chile many which can be found on our shelves here.
Tabalí Talinay Chardonnay 2023 Limarí Valley
96 Points and one of the Chardonnays of the Year
Why buy much more expensive bottles of white Burgundy of comparable quality when you can drink this superb Chardonnay from limestone-rich soils in the Limarí Valley? Fermented in older oak with no malolactic, it’s a wine with terroir to spare, showing notes of oyster shell, grapefruit and lemon zest, subtle patisserie spices and a lingering, bone-dry finish.
Tabalí Talinay Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Limarí Valley
96 Points and one of the Sauvignon Blancs of the Year.
Felipe Müller’s world-class Sauvignon Blanc comes from a windy, north-facing, 1.41-hectare block within the greater Talinay vineyard. Entirely stainless steel fermented and aged, it is engagingly fresh, tangy and mouth-watering, all struck match, nettle, white pepper and elderflower and an oyster shell top note.
Tabalí Micas Carmenère 2023 Peumo
94 Points
A quintessential Peumo Carmenère, give or take the decision to age it in older, second and third-use oak, this has an appealing interplay between capsicum and coffee bean aromas, supple, succulent tannins, plum, red pepper and black cherry flavours and plenty of zip and freshness.
Tatié Rosé Extra Brut NV Limarí Valley
95 Points and one of the Sparkling Wines of the Year.
I generally have a slight preference for the Tatié Extra Brut Rosé over the Brut bottling and that’s the case here. Partnering Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, it has an appealing bronze pink colour, flavours of redcurrant, malt and strawberry, fine bubbles, well-handled dosage of 5 grams of sweetness and a fresh, layered, tapering finish.
Tatié Brut NV Limarí Valley
93 Points
Tatié is a joint-venture between Champagne Thiénot and Tabalí, who source this cuvée of Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from the latter’s Talinay vineyard close to the Pacific Ocean. Combing components from the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 vintages, it’s remarkably fresh and vivid, with flavours of cream, toast and hazelnut, racy citrus fruit and texture from 30 months of autolysis on lees.
Emiliana Coyam 2022, Colchagua Valley
96 Points and one of the Red Blends of the Year
In a world where the prices of some top wines are increasingly astronomical, Coyam is a glorious, value-for-money exception. Dominated by more or less equal parts Syrah and Carmenère, with the remaining 29% made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre and splashes of Carignan, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo, it’s a brilliant Bordeaux-meets the Mediterranean blend showing some subtle reduction, aromas of scented oak, oregano and wild thyme and a palate of garrigue, tapenade and blackberry complemented by granular tannins.
Emiliana 57 Rocas Carmenère 2022 Colchagua Valley
93 Points
A wine that’s all about place and variety rather than oak, this is a very lightly wooded Carmenère from biodynamically farmed parcels planted in 1992. Liquorice, coriander and petrichor aromas are a scented introduction to a palate of bramble, black olive and toast framed by textured tannins.
