We think of Chile as a New World wine country. Certainly, from the narrower European perspective, Chile is a New World country - it was discovered by Magellan in 1520. It was colonised by the Spanish moving in Southwards from Peru in the mid sixteenth century. It must have been a relief for them to encounter a climate more like that of home. One of the great imperatives of the Catholic settlers was the necessity of making wine so that the Eucharist could be properly celebrated. Canon Law states that Communion Wine shall be made from the fermented juice of the grape. Therefore vines were brought from Europe whence they were established and nurtured since the 1550s. The climate is dry and warm, and Chile is now a wine nation that has been free of the major bugs, especially phylloxera for four and a half centuries. That's hardly a Johnny-come-lately in wine making terms! The major wine regions are on the same latitude as those in the Cape of South Africa, where again the traditions of vinification go back over four centuries.
Again, not unlike South Africa, the political situation in Chile during the 70s and 80s meant that trade with the rest of the world was somewhat curtailed. Since the restoration of democracy in 1989, Chile has moved foreward in leaps and bounds, and the renaissance of the long established wine trade has been a vigorous and largely successful enterprise. The combination of climate, economics and a willingness to start afresh has attracted many of the travelling wine makers whose expertise has been useful, even if perhaps they have not helped to create an essentially Chilean style of winemaking. Perhaps that will take longer to achieve. The dependance on the major varietals (rather like Bulgaria in the 80s) is good for producing reliable cheap and middle range dependable table wines. You'd need to be a brilliant blind taster to be able to identify a Chilean wine, as opposed to one from New Zealand or even Argentina.
Part of the problem of identity lies in the way the industry is in the hands of a few very large, high-tech, good quality players, the descendants of great colonial landowners such as Concho y Toro and Valdevieso, Santa Rita and Errazuriz. You'll be hard pressed to find wines from enthusiastic, fiercely independent vignerons ploughing their own furrows in a distictive terroir.
I'm afraid this selection is rather biased towards the reds. Most of the whites we tried were either Chardonnays most of which were nice but rather run of the mill, or Sauvignon Blancs which were sound and reliable but not about to set the world on fire. So we chose only those that really stood out from the crowd. Then, from that shortlist, we picked out our top white and our two top reds.
Safeway Cordillera Estate Oak Aged Chardonnay 1996, Safeway £4.99
Those who like an oaky, buttery chardonnay will appreciate this wine
fiorm the Genesis estate. Long on the palate and full of ripe fruit, it
has a definitely New World style.
Santa Rita, Valle del Maule Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 1997, Majestic £5.49
Very powerful gooseberry with overtones of pussycat! Afficionados of
this style loved it, the faint of heart and palate poured it away. I
was rather impressed!
Santa Rita, Semillon 1996, Majestic £4.49
Rather more subtle, with aromatic slightly pear drop flavours. Went
very well with brie and celery. I liked it a lot and it was just that bit
different.
Cono Sur Gewurztraminer 1997, Victoria Wine £4.49
One lives in hopes with this varietal, always wishing that a bargain
alternative to Alsatian wine can be found. This one is getting there:
there's an attractive tropical flavour, perhaps not quite yet balanced by that
peppery quality that's the hallmark of top gewurz (which means
spice). But the vines are getting older and more established, and the
techniques are consolidating, so watch out Colmar - the Chileans are
coming!
Valdevisio Reserve Pinot Noir, Fullers
Interesting... a combination of fresh fruity Beaujolais Gamay-ness
(maceration perhaps?) coupled with an alluring undercurrent of Burgundian
gameiness.
Concha y Toro, Maipo Valley Cabernet Syrah 1996, Oddbins
Single varietals tend to be the order of the day in Chile, so we were rather
attracted by this exception to the rule. I thought the Cabernet was
dominant, with good Cassis fruit coupled with sultry southern smokiness.
Santa Rita Maipo Valley, Reserva Merlot 1996, Majestic £5.99
Here was a wine with some propere backbone, but with attractive flavours of
plums. It could stand a little more time in the bottle but it would
already pair up well with a powerful meat dish.
Santa Rita Maipo Valley, Cabernet Sauvigon 1995, Majestic £5.49
Rich fruit with very much softer tannins. A pleasant wine to stand
around drinking with canapés and nibbles.
Carta Vieja Maule Valley, Antigua Selección 1995, Majestic £4.99
Rather leafy slightly vegetal nose leading to another soft but pleasant
wine with lighter fruit.
Canepa Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995, Unwin's £4.99
This was good value, offering a vibrant colour, a woosh of autumn
berries followed by easy tannins and fruit flavours to match the nose.
Domaine Oriental Cabernet 1993 also from Unwin's at £5.99
Torres Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon, Unwin's £5.99
When Miguel Torres set up their vineyards further South in
Curic&ocaute;, it was regarded as folly by the pessimists and an act of
faith by the optimists. This wine has lovely fruit and length of flavour,
its style is less new world more classic European.
Domaine Oriental Cabernet Clos Centenaire 1993 Sauvignon,
Unwin's £5.99
This shows what careful aging in a mix of American and French oak
barrels can do when the starting point is a well made wine with a balance
of good fruit and tannin. The colour was vibrant, showing no age to speak
of, and the blend of blackberry and smokey cigar box flavours was most
enjoyable. This was the one to beat!
If you have tasted any of the wines mentioned in our reviews, please let us have your comments:
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