Regions to be cheerful as Chile’s growers experiment
Since the 19th century, the big Chilean wineries have focused much of their attention on classic cabernet sauvignon, merlot and more recently carmenere in the main Central Valley region from Maipo to Rapel. Now we are seeing a new generation of winemakers and boutique wineries experimenting with different grapes and areas.
“Everyone is now colonising Chile’s coast looking for more vibrancy, finesse and minerality,” says winemaker Viviana Navarrete of Vina Leyda. “New coastal regions are showing amazing stylistic and regional diversity for chardonnay, sauvignon blanc – but more particularly for syrah and pinot noir.”
Some winemakers are heading east, higher into the Andes foothills. But most interesting is the reinvigoration of the old heartlands to the south. Wine regions like Itata, Maule and Curico were once dismissed as too rustic and rural – or in the case of southerly regions Bio Bio and Malleco deemed too cool and wet.
Winemakers are discovering the amazing treasure trove of gnarled free-standing old bushvines grown on their own roots hidden in these valleys. Many are the ‘ancestral’ grapes, pais and muscat, first planted in Chile in the mid16th century – whilst more recent vine arrivals carignan and cinsault from the 1940s show potential here too.
“We are now discovering Itata’s forgotten jewels, the 50-year-old bushvines,” says winemaker Ricardo Baettig of Morande winery who has been exploring this fragmented wine region with its 10,000 growers, some owning less than two hectares.
“We are now learning the region’s terroir in detail, its different granite, clay and sandy soils and vineyard orientation – and the cinsault grape’s potential – which will be useful in future to withstand droughts,” he adds.
These Itata wines are available in small quantities, but look out for other producers like de Martino who make great cinsault here too.
In Maule, the carignan grape has interesting potential. Winemaker Juan Ignacio Montt from Espiritu blends it with pais and cinsault making bright-fruited great value Intrepido Reserva. “We are starting to learn how to make pais too; it’s a bit savage on its own, so we blend in carignan and cinsault for colour and structure matured in old oak,” says Montt.
Another exciting development is the new social empowerment projects in the poorer south. San Pedro winery have been working in Malleco region, 360 miles south of Santiago, historically better known for forestry with only 150 hectares of vines on volcanic soils.
“We have worked with 24 families who had no knowledge of viticulture before,” says Viviana Navarrete. “We began in 2015 and the idea is to invite more families, helping them take control and commercialise their wines.”
And it is not just Chile’s vineyards that are buzzing with experimentation and innovation. One impressive winery project is Vina Carmen’s small batch ‘flor’ yeast-aged semillon. Winemaker Emily Faulconer believes biological ageing helps sweeter-style grapes taste leaner and more complex.
Vina Carmen had discovered the dry-farmed old semillon vines in Colchagua’s Apalta, a region better known for cabernet sauvignon. Semillon is diminishing in Chile with just 1,000 hectares, but Faulconer has discovered that by picking it early and ageing under ‘flor’, she can craft an elegant semillon.
Like many of these new Chilean innovations, quantities produced are still small – but Vina Carmen have plans to produce bigger volumes to sell abroad soon.
White Apalta, Colchagua: Semillon Florillon #2 2019 Carmen
Intense aroma, citric twang with great subtlety and complexity.
£25, NA in UK
Red Maule: Intrepido Mezcla Tinta 2018 Espiritu de Chile
Bright fruits and soft smooth tannins in this carignan, pais and cinsault blend.
£10.95, www. freixenetcopestick.com; www. winesearcher.com
Limari: Sutil Limited Release Syrah 2018
Chalky minerally syrah with uplifted floral notes. £16.95, www.tanners-wines.co.uk
Itata: Adventure Creole 2019 Morande
Brilliant new cinsault blend with juicy, fresh, vibrant red berry fruits – would suit Beaujolais lovers.
£21.99, www.haywines.co.uk; www.corkingwines.co.uk
Lo Abarca, San Antonio: Miramar Syrah 2012 Casa Marin
Peppery and vibrant with crunchy freshness – beautiful, elegant, cool coastal syrah. £34, www.alliancewine.com
Curico: Trisquel ‘Altitud 1245’ Merlot 2018 Aresti
Sweet spicy, intense bright plummy fruits and herby undertones.
£15.99, www.majestic.co.uk
Malleco: Tayu 1865 Pinot Noir 2018 San Pedro
Vibrant crunchy red fruits, bright fruit palate with herbal bay leaf notes. ■
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