Casillero del Diablo’s head winemaker Marcelo Papa was in attendance at Channel 4's headquarters to present the wines – a red and a white blend - and the Chilean wine brand's new marketing campaign The Wine Legend.
Casillero del Diablo Devil’s Collection will be available globally priced at around £8.99, a £1 premium to the Casillero del Diablo Reserva range.
Papa said the white wine, a blend of cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and un-oaked Chardonnay with 5% Gewurztraminer, had good acidity and freshness but still offered structure.
The red is less acidic, with more of an emphasis on fruit. It is a Syrah “balanced with Cabernet Sauvignon for backbone” with 15% Carmenere, to give a “velvety” texture.
Papa said the style of wines would be more suited to Northern European markets, particularly the UK and Scandinavia.
The UK is the destination for around a third of the Chilean brand’s sales; about 14.4m bottles. Casillero del Diablo is now the 12th largest wine brand in the market, according to Concha y Toro.
The winemaker added that the wines would launch in the US, a market in which he didn’t hold out as much hope for their success.
He said: “In the US they look for sweet and oaked wines. Their tastes may develop [towards fresher styles] so we will have to see."
