Category Chile

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Considering Carmenere: A Wines of Chile Tasting for #BlogChile

Nov 7, ’12 3:11 PM

Wines of Chile ‘Terroir Master Class’ Tasting

To help bring awareness to the differing regions of Chile, and the unique expression of wines from these regions, Wines of Chile organized a tasting bringing together wines of 4 different grapes, 3 expressions each for a total of 12 wines.

Chile offers a unique environment for growing wine for multiple reasons. Most distinctive among them is the phylloxera free environment offered by the desert to the north, the mountains to the east, and the water everywhere else. Chile is essentially land locked so that the louse cannot sneak into the country via wind, animals, or other natural vectors, and the government keeps agricultural supplies in strict quarantine to protect the vines from human error. Grapes, then, are grown on their own rootstock throughout the country.

As described by the winemakers hosting our experience through the tasting, Chilean wine is about drinking the wine now “because you will be happy” but with the understanding that the wines have the ability to age as well.

I was pleasantly surprised by the focus on value in many of these wines. Following are descriptions for the twelve wines.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc from Chile has done well at catching attention in recent years for offering a lean, clean focus with a wealth of fruit. I have to confess these whites are not my style. However, these wines are also a recognizably popular style, offering consistent quality, and are generally an expression of value.

Vina Casablanca Nimbus Single VIneyard 2012, Casablanca Valley $13. This is a delicate wine with an elegant focus, bringing out the character of lily and nasturtium with citrus blossom and zest. There is a lightly salty texture on a soft palate. This is a value wine. The Nimbus was made with a slow fermentation, and kept on lees for a creamier texture.

San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard 2011, Lyeda Valley $19. There is a creamy nose and palate here showing cooked asparagus, white grapefruit citrus, with light tomato leaf on the palate alongside white grapefruit, white pepper corn, and light evergreen. This is a clean, crisp wine with a long finish and a generally vibrant palate. The 1865 Vineyard offers limestone, and good proximity to the coast.

Casa Silva Cool Coast 2011 Colchagua Valley $25. The Casa Silva vineyard rises at 1300 feet elevation directly above the ocean. The wine carries a tomato leaf nose with creamy back note, light lily and light mango. The palate is vibrant, with a strong green leaf and green onion aspect carrying through to the finish. The flavors showing here include citrus blossom, light pepper, and pink grapefruit.

Pinot Noir

PInot Noir has developed as a more recent interest in Chile, with plantings beginning in the 1980s in newly established cooler climate areas of Casablanca, San Antonio and Bio Bio.

* Emiliana Novas 2010, Casablanca Valley $19. The Emiliana Novas Pinot was one of the stand outs of the overall tasting–the value on this wine is impressive. The overall presentation offered here are like an archaeological dig of texture and flavors. You get a lot for $19. The nose is vibrant with rhubarb, light strawberry-raspberry without being sweet, and touches of smoke. The palate offers red berry and rhubarb, smoke and cracked pepper. There is a cohesive structure with vibrant acidity and medium smooth tannin, and a generally clean presentation.

Cono Sur 2009, Casablanca Valley $32. The nose of this Pinot is earthy, with smoke, a mix of red and dark berries, and light cracked pepper. The palate carries the textural, light tar influence of lees, with vibrant red fruit acidity, smoke, and dark earth rich soil. You get here a long smoke finish, up acidity, and medium tannin.

Morandé Gran Reserva 2009, Casablanca Valley $18. More than the other two Pinots, this one wants to be opened and given time with air to allow the flavors to settle and come together. Without that time it presents as disjointed. There is a sense of sea water, red fruit, smoke, and both red and dark berry here on a textural palate. Give this wine some time to enjoy it properly.

Carménère

Carménère has captured a unique role in Chile thanks to its accidental history. Planted extensively through the country under the guise of Merlot, Carménère took a foothold in the South American state while being actively ignored in its home country of Bordeaux. Prior to its true origins being discovered, the Merlot of Chile became known as offering a unique presentation in comparison to the Merlot of elsewhere. To investigate the phenomenon, a vine scientist was brought in to study the unique Chilean Merlot clone. Unique clone indeed! It turned out more than half of the Merlot harvested from Chile was actually Carménère! While it had seemed to go extinct in Europe it was going strong in South America.

Interestingly, Carménère takes a similar story in Italy where it had been planted in the North as what was believed to be Cabernet Franc. It is now understood that most of what has been taken to be Cabernet Franc in areas like Friuli-Venezia Guilia and Veneto is actually Carménère.

With its unique presence in Chile attention has turned to developing the overall quality of the fruit in the region. The grape demands extended hang time plus warm climate to ripen optimally, and likes clay for growing in.

Many consider the bell pepper elements common to the grape undesirable. In too strong measure it can overwhelm other aspects of the wine. However, in good balance with earthier elements and some fruit, I find it pleasant and a nice up note to lift the wine. The three expressions we tasted from Chile were good examples of how interesting wines of the grape can be.

We were able to ask the winemakers how well they expect their Carménère wines to age. They consistently said that on a good vintage and a quality wine, Carménère would readily age 10 years, but could be expected to do well longer. They also expressed that their favorite pairing for the variety is spicy curry or Mexican food.

Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha 2010, Cachpoal Valley $22. WIth 100% Carménère in this wine, it carries the most fruit focus of the three. The nose starts with the characteristic bell pepper element and opens into bacon fat, cassis, red berry, and light cracked pepper. On the palate there is a fresh water element layered into an ultra rich, slightly heavy palate. This wine wants to be decanted and given time to open up and unfold. There is a nice texture and movement in this wine opening into cooked down fruit, and hints of cocoa.

Carmen Gran Reserva 2010 Apalta-Colchagua Valley $15, 5% Carignan. Again, this wine wants to be decanted and let rest to open up. The initial breath gives distinct green pepper with light sulfur elements and a strong palate with intense flavor. The wine opens into light camphor and squid ink with distinct red fruit, pepper with spice, and a bread finish. This is a young, still tight wine. With air it opens up into a lot of richness and the acidity to carry it through–the Carignan helps provide some of this.

* Koyale Royale 2009, Colchagua Valley $26, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec. The most distinctive elements show on this wine. There is a lot of layering, and pleasant focus offered through this wine and it drinks beautifully into the second and third day. The green pepper element on the nose presents as refreshing, alongside a lightly bready character. The palate is intense with bacon fat, cassis, light clove, light bread, dark fruit and smoke. There is a distinctive textural finish here, and grippy tannin that is also pleasant. This was one of the stand outs in the tasting for its overall quality.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Though Chile has become associated with Carmenere, it is actually the success of Cabernet Sauvignon that brought attention to the red wines of the country. Cabernet Sauvignon helped show other areas of the world that Chile could produce quality red wines, thus bringing further interest in the rest of the wine industry of the area as well.

* Maquis 2010, Colchagua Valley $19. The value on this wine is utterly impressive. This wine offers a lot of sophistication for the cost. You get pencil lead, light green pepper, chocolate, and green leaf raspberry with a meaty, rich palate, and a medium long tang finish. It is still a young wine with a tight presentation, give it some open time if you choose to drink it now. This wine was one of the stand outs in the tasting for its value.

Ventisquero Grey 2009, Maipo Valley, $29, 6% Petite Verdot. The nose here carries dust and deep red and purple fruit, leading into a vibrant, gripping, and stimulating juicy mouth. The flavors bring a mix of dust, red and purple fruit, green leaf, and graphite, with a spice and light tar medium-long finish. Let this wine have some age or some air.

Los Vascos Le Dix 2009, Colchagua Valley, $65, 10% Carménère, 5% Syrah. This wine wants age and air. Decant it and let it open if you choose to have it now. A fresh green pepper, and light cassis nose moves into a strong palate of spice, dark fruit, cassis, cocoa and tobacco with both a juicy and grippy body. The tannins here are smoothed, giving the roundest and smoothest presentation of the three Cabernets. The Le Dix comes from over 80 year old vines. It would be a perfect pairing for a grilled rib eye steak.

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To read more about the wine regions of Chile check out this map and click chart from The Wines of Chile: http://www.winesofchile.org/chilean-wine/wine-regions/

Thank you to the Wines of Chile for including me in this tasting. Thank you to the Fred Dexheimer and the winemakers for discussing the wines with us. What a treat!

Thank you to Amber, and Morgan for their work facilitating the event.

Thank you to Lori Tieszen and to Emily Denton for extending the invitation to me.

Copyright 2012 all rights reserved. When sharing or forwarding, please attribute to WakawakaWineReviews.com. WakawakaWineReviews

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Tasting Through Sauvignon Blanc: Wine Reviews, Regional Differences, and Varietal Characteristics (with a hello to Julie!)

Jan 6, ’12 2:40 AM

Thanks to Julie for her interest in Sauvignon Blanc!

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Sauvignon Blanc is yet another grape that carries uncertain origins. There are a number of potential parent plants, each placing its possible motherland in differing areas of the world. What we do know is that its more contemporary history roots the grape in Western France, both Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. From here the vine has traveled throughout the wine growing regions of the world.

The phylloxera outbreak of the late 1800′s deeply impacted the grapes production volume throughout Europe, resulting in vines now younger than the crisis in that region. However, the planet still showcases Sauvignon Blanc vines older than the phylloxera epidemic as cuttings were transported to Chile before the infestation of Europe. Chile remains the only country in the world never impacted by the phylloxera louse as its geography offers natural protection through the desert in the North, the mountains to the East, and the ocean on the West. As a result, some of the oldest vines in the world (of other grape types too) reside in the Chilean countryside.

Sauvignon Blanc Varietal Wine Reviews

Below the preferred wine from each region is reviewed through a wine review comic. However, a number of other Sauvignon Blanc varietals are also reviewed here through a text-only review. Each review is demarcated in this post with a bold title section. At the bottom of the post a brief note indicating which Sauvignon Blanc wines came out as favorites.

France

Sauvignon Blanc generates several world famous wines originating in Western France. In Bordeaux, the grape is one of several allowed as part of the dry white blend known as Bordeaux blanc–we’ll look at examples of such blends next week. It also plays a key role in the sweet wine blend, Sauternes (another we’ll look at next week). In the Loire Valley the wine is most well known for its production focus as Sancerre.

White Sancerre brings a mineral focus, and elegance to the grape, cultivating Sauvignon Blanc in either chalk or flint soil, both of which can be sensed in the final varietal when fermentation temperatures are kept high. While flint tends to offer leaner, long lived renditions, chalk instead generates a wine, by comparison, with a heftier body and mouth feel. Sancerre is generally placed in Stainless Steel vats for fermentation, thus abstaining from any oak influence on the flavors or aging potential of the wine.

By many, Sancerre is considered one of the most elegant, dry, and pleasing white wines in the world.

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Wine Review: Daniel Chotard 2009 Sancerre Imported by Kermit Lynch

Sancerre is generally understood to be less grassy than other varietals from this grape. This Chotard is no exception. The fruits are distinct, and pleasant, carrying noticeable and refreshing flinty minerals. Subtle white flowers lift the citrus, and slight tropical scents and flavors profile. The acidity here is also pleasing, bringing a nice mouth watering crispness to the fruit.

More on France

Though Bordeaux and Loire Valley are the largest production areas for this variety, it is grown throughout the country with differing styles of wine resulting. Though it does not play a huge role there, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the many grapes grown in the Languedoc-Rouissillon region of the South.

Wine Review: JeanJean 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Languedoc

This wine from JeanJean offers a clean, fresh fruit focused varietal with medium complexity, and finish. The nose hosts Meyer lemon, lime, passion fruit, and scents of honey suckle. On the mouth, you find Meyer lemon, lime, and tropical fruits. Refreshing, approachable, and pleasing to drink.

Though I did not draw a wine comic for the JeanJean, if you are looking for a Sauvignon Blanc to drink, this wine is recommended. I appreciate the clean, citrus focused, mouth watering elements of this wine.

California

Introduced to California in the 1880′s, Sauvignon Blanc went through a long period of being out of favor in North America. This reputation was changed when Robert Mondavi coined a new name for it–Fume Blanc–and marketed it as an exciting new dry white alternative to chardonnay. The pitch worked.

The Fume Blanc name is unregulated through the state, thus allowing wine makers to choose if they’ll sell their wine under the varietal name, or the Mondavi nickname. Because of the lack of regulation the production style with either moniker can vary widely.

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Wine Review: Hanna 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley

The grassy elements common to Sauvignon Blanc show lightly in the Hanna. They are well-balanced with fruit elements, and acidity that offers distinctive, recognizable fruit flavors. Fresh citrus, and light lychee notes dance in the nose, while citrus zing into balance with deepening melon flavors on the palate. The wine also showcases crisp pear as it warms. This wine is very refreshing both for its well-defined flavors, and fresh fruit focus, as well as the mouth watering acidity. Well-balanced, fresh, and crisp varietal here.

Wine Review: Frog’s Leap 2010 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

I want to note that I appreciate the humor offered from the Frog’s Leap label that puts the words “open other end” near the bottom, as if anyone could open the bottom of a bottle without simply breaking it. In the midst of wine tasting I appreciated finding the subtle humor.

The Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc (SB), however, was my least favorite of the many SB varietals I tasted. Sauvignon Blanc does best in climates where the temperature at any one part of the day does not reach too high–in more extreme conditions the grape tends to ripen quickly resulting in less distinct flavor components in the final wine. Here we find mushy flavors–they are not distinct or crisp, and instead traverse your palate as washed out fruit. The nose is very light with faint tropical fruits, and oak. The mouth shows a powdered candy taste alongside lime and passion fruit.

New Zealand

Though the grape was originally planted in New Zealand as an experiment to be mixed with other white varieties, here SB varietals are now famous. New Zealand established an internationally known wine industry for its strongly fruit focused, tropical notes rendition of the grape. Interestingly, production practices in the area have been strongly influenced by geography historically. Because there had only been proper production facilities on one island, while the grape was grown on both, grapes had to be transported by truck over long distances before they could be separated from their skins and pressed. As a result of the extended skin contact in transport, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc tended to offer fuller flavors and intensity in the wine.

The growing conditions here vary widely from vineyard to vineyard, thus creating very different flavor elements within the region. Still, due to the maritime climate of the long, narrow islands, the grape celebrates one of the longer growing seasons seen anywhere in the world. As a result, the New Zealand flavors tend to be ripe, rich, and full of fruit.

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Wine Review: Nine Walks 2011 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc has a light nose of candied lime, and tropical fruits. The palate carries forward the tropical fruit with fresh lime, meyer lemon, passion fruit, and hints of pleasing pepper and oak. The minerals here are very light. This varietal is subtle in its delivery, and crisp.

Wine Review: Long Boat 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The Long Boat offers both herbs, and minerals with sage and subtle flavors of river rocks. The focus on both the nose and the palate are youthful green apple, passionfruit, and meyer lemon, along with unripe pineapple. Accents of white flowers raise the profile. The grass, and green pepper elements common to the grape variety are also present here.

Wine Review: Nautilus 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

This wine shows a clear tropical fruit and citrus focus. There is also green pepper, and light oak showing themselves here. Very fruit focused wine. Not a favorite.

Wine Review: Kim Crawford 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The grass tendencies of this grape show here on both the nose, and mouth. The Kim Crawford offers the classic full flavor rendition that New Zealand is famous for. The nose has tropical fruits, and passion fruit, while the mouth continues this blend, along with some peach notes, and obvious oak-bite and heat. There is quality here but it is not my style of wine.

Chile

Recent focus has developed quality Sauvignon Blanc in Chile. The well-aged vines of the region along with the more recent focus on quality wine production in the area have combined to produce crisp, flavorful varietals. Contrasting the wines of this region against others mentioned, the Chilean Sauvignon Blancs are generally considered closer in French style, rather than New Zealand. That is, the flavors are more often refined, and cleaner with more of a tendency towards citrus and minerals, and less towards tropical fruits.

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Wine Review: Veramonte 2010 Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Bright distinct fruit are found here in both the nose, and the mouth. Lime, meyer lemon, and passion fruit fill the nose, with them carrying forward in the mouth alongside juicy pear, and hints of tropical fruit. This wine is smooth, with a touch of spice.

Wine Review: Arenal 2009 Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc

The flavors here are light, and less distinct. There are notes of candied lime in both the bouquet, and flavors, along with tart green apple, pineapple, grapefruit, light white flowers, and subtle tropical fruits. This wine offers mild heat. It is light, and smooth, showing citrus-candy flavors with a citrus bite. Not a favorite, though I’d recommend it above most of the New Zealand wines mentioned.

Varietal Characteristics: Sauvignon Blanc

Typical to this grape are fruit elements ranging from citrus and tropical fruit. Tropical fruit flavors tend to be more commonly found in New World wines, while citrus elements are generally common throughout. The grape is also known to have an herbaceous quality most commonly showing as grass, and bell pepper.

In less ripe growing seasons Sauvignon Blanc takes on an incredibly pungent (even often called aggressive) odor that people politely refer to as “cat box”, or more pointedly call “cat pee.” This characteristic is less commonly found in the varietal today as the link between this bouquet-flavor component and ripeness levels was recently discovered. Greater sun exposure in cooler climates is one solution to avoiding such flavor elements. In other words, cat box characteristics occur due to temperature, and sun exposure related growing conditions, and are not considered a flaw in the wine. For some, the quality is desirable.

Though the grape is most widely produced in Bordeaux, Loire Valley, California, New Zealand, and Chile, it is also found in small production numbers in South Africa, small portions of Australia, and in other areas of Europe.

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Which SB Wines Win?

Along with the JeanJean, the four wine review comics indicate my favorites of those tasted. Of the styles addressed here, Sancerre is my preference, with the clean, mouth watering qualities of the JeanJean, and the Hanna being next.

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Monday will consider a side-by-side wine tasting of two very different Semillons, one offered young from Barossa Valley, Australia, and the other an older release from California.

The rest of next week will explore the commonly side-by-side relationship of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon through a comparison of Bordeaux blanc blends (from Bordeaux, and from elsewhere), and then of late harvest wines in both blended and varietal versions of the two grapes.

Copyright 2011 all rights reserved. When sharing or forwarding, please attribute to WakawakaWineReviews.com

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