Perhaps no other country in the world has been expanding into new wine regions as rapidly as Chile over the last decade. Once known as a supplier of cheap, affordable and very reliable wines grown courtesy of their almost perfect climate, Chile is now starting to spread her wings and expand her styles, regions and varieties in practically every direction, or at least as far as the Pacific Ocean and the soaring Andes mountain range will allow her to! It all started back in the 1500’s when the Spanish settlers brought vines across, notably Moscatel, Torontel and ‘the common black grape’ that we now know as Pais. Since then, Chile has expanded rapidly since becoming a major wine producer in its own right, the 4th biggest exporter of wine in the world and an increasingly exciting place in the world of wine for consumers and winemakers alike.
The fact that Chile has been making wine reliably for over 4 centuries stretches the concept of ‘The New World’ a little as far as wine making is concerned, and indeed Spain actually tried to slow down the development of the industry in Chile in the 17th century, concerned as it was a real threat to exports of Spanish wine. Thanks to the enterprising governor at the time, this failed and Chile continued to grow and flourish, not least due to their intelligent decision to set up Quinta Normal, an experimental vineyard that housed many of the vitis vinifera varieties that would soon be decimated by phylloxera in Europe (Chile still remains the only major wine producing country in the world that is phylloxera free!). Today 80% of the countries production is covered by 4 enormous producers, spear-headed by Concha y Toro, but thanks to investments in international varieties, new equipment and an ever growing export market, Chile has now been joined by a wealth of smaller producers, most of whom are producing top quality wine destined for Western markets.
Geographically speaking, Chile is a skinny little country which from North to South, undergoes an enormous variation in climate. Not only that but as of 2011 Chilean winemakers have been able to indicate where their wines were grown using the terms ‘Costa’, ‘Entre Cordilleras’ and ‘Andes’ as a lot also depends on whether the vineyards are closer to the sea, the mountains or in between the two. Soil types also vary, from ancient granite and schist to the west, to clay, loam and sand being more common towards the central and coastal ranges. Add to this the perfect Mediterranean climate with cloudless, sunny days and hot, dry summers and there’s an absolute wealth of options available for winemakers and vineyards owners in terms of what they plant, when they pick and what styles of wine they want to make.
This week with Maestrazgo Wine Club, we intend to take a look ourselves through 6 different wines from the country, with 3 whites and 3 reds making up the list. From crisp, cool Chardonnays to crunchy, green Carmenere and the bright, powerful fruit of modern Cabernet Sauvignon, there’s an awful lot to taste and appreciate in this understated country. I have a feeling that the next 10 years could see a big change in the general appreciation of Chilean wines and I can only hope that more become available here in Spain!
Viña Chillan Sauvignon Blanc Itata Valley 2015 – The Itata Valley is to the south of the country, around the regions of Bio-Bio and Malleco, and was previously known as a producer of the basic Pais variety, as well as some Muscat de Alexandria although the recent investment of this area has seen an emergence of cooler climate international varieties. Viña Chillan is the result of this type of investment, producing a blend of good quality, organically grown vines, mostly with international varieties from Pinot Noir all the way to Zinfandel. Their Sauvignon Blanc is a pretty wine, full of tropical fruit, spice and citrus with a nice full body to it. It’s a good example of modern wine-making and a push forward for organic viticulture in a country that will change its approach to viticulture drastically over the coming years.
Tabali Coastal Limestone Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 – The Limari Valley by comparison is right to the north of the country and has become something of a revelation since the 1990’s when this area first started to be truly explored. Here the cooling influence of the Ocean is vital, as well as the strips of soil comprising mainly of limestone, with particular praise being lavished onto the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs produced here. Tabali are a producer who set up here early in the 2000’s, with an aim to producing European varietals in a distinctive, cooler climate style. The result in this case is a crisp, bright Chardonnay fermented in French oak and subjected to battonage to add body and weight. Fresh, creamy and very youthful this is a great example of the new style of Chardonnay being produced in Chile.
Calyptra Chardonnay Gran Reserva 2012 – 650km away from Limari to the south of Santiago lies the Cachapoal Valley, an area best known for producing top quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere. The slightly warmer climate here also lends itself well to full bodied styles of white wines, typically Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This is definitely more of a stereotypical ‘New World’ style of Chardonnay with more obvious oak, cream and vanilla as well as riper, more tropical flavours. Calyptra have been showered with awards in the last few years, from Decanter to the Wine Spectator, and it will be interesting to see how it holds up against our cooler climate whites!
Maturana Wines Carménère Marchigüe 2013 – Staying in the Cachapoal Valley, we’re now moving onto our first red wine of the evening, a tiny production of Carmenere blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Carmenere is Chiles ‘own’ grape in the same way that Malbec is associated with Argentina; both came from Bordeaux over a century ago but they’ve now found their spiritual homes in South America. Carmenere produces a deeply coloured, full bodied style of wine that is distinctly herbaceous, often unpleasantly so if the grapes aren’t fully ripe. As a result, blends of other grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are often added to soften the wine as well as adding. some structure and fruit. Maturana Wines make a miniscule 3500 bottles a year, so I feel particularly lucky to be able to share this!
Odfjell Orzada Syrah 2011 – Further south again, this time to Maule, a hugely important area of production in Chile. Cooler than Cachapoal to the north thanks to the influence of the Pacific, this area focuses mainly on red wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and interestingly, Carignan which has seen a resurgence over the last few years with some spectacular results. This week we’re going to take a look at Chilean Syrah, a varietal that seems to really get around the world quite comfortably, oddly enough through a Norwegian owned winery! Expect to see lots of juicy black fruit, pepper spice and oak influences from 12 months of ageing in mixed French and American oak barrels.
Echeverria Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – Curico Valley was put on the map when a certain Miguel Torres arrived there with a plan to expand his wine empire in 1979. There are two distinct climates here, with the area around Molina being much cooler thanks to breezes coming down from the Andes whereas towards the west, everything becomes notably warmer and drier. Not renowned for an affiliation with a single grape variety, this area has instead become known for its ability to produce good quality grapes in a wide variety of styles. Echeverria has been a family business since the 1930s, with around 65 hectares of vineyards producing a wide portfolio of products. We’ll be finishing the tasting with their special selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak for a total of 20 months A full bodied, powerful wine with lots of black fruit and green bell pepper; a perfect sign off for a Chilean wine tasting!
What do you get if you take a group of lovely people, 6 excellent wines and good food to pair it with? A great evening, by my calculations. This will be our penultimate international wine tasting of 2016 and I can’t wait to get it started! The tasting is fully booked but if you’d like to be informed about future wine tastings we’re doing, please make sure to make an account with Meet-up and join Maestrazgo Wine Club, as the Newsletter containing all the dates will be sent out on the 1st December. If you’d like to book a private tasting at any point, check out what we can offer here. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday to explore the wines of Chile; see you soon!