Syrah - Chile's Latest Success Story

The Chilean wine industry has a lot of positives going for it these days, even if most of us don't hear much about it. I've stated before that the people who market these wines - both in Chile and in America and other countries - need to do a better job letting consumers know what classy wines are emerging from the country's wine regions these days.

Thankfully, the vintners are doing the necessary work, as they finding the best sites that are well suited to particular varieties. The days of Chile being most associated with $8-$10 Central Valley wines are long gone, as the producers have learned to realize the beauty of their climate when working with a variety of wine grapes. I think most of us are familiar with the gorgeous Cabernets - especially those from the Maipo Valley- that run anywhere from $18-$60 (or even slightly higher), but over the past decade, the country's wine industry has developed into a complex one, capable of producing beautifully crafted wines from Carmenere, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

These last two are of course, cool climate varieties and while Pinot Noir is still largely a work in progress throughout Chile, there have been dazzling bottlings of Sauvignon Blancs from cool zones such as Casablanca Valley, Leyda and San Antonio Valleys near the ocean as well as Limarí and a few select sites in Colchagua. A few of the finest bottlings from producers such as Casa Marin, Garces-Silva (Amayna), Maycas del Limarí, Matetic (EQ) and Leyda Vineyards have made Chile into one of the world's finest Sauvignon Blanc territories.

Now Syrah is starting to become an important variety in Chile as well. I recently tasted two bottlings that are proof that this country can do more than produce ripe, forward reds; these wines also display excellent complexity as well as beautiful structure. I am referring to the 2008 Maycas del Limarí and the 2008 Casa Marin "Miramar Vineyard."

The Maycas wines are a relatively new project from Concha y Toro, Chile's largest winery. They have committed to the Limarí valley, located very close to the Pacific Ocean, quite a ways north of Santiago. The winery is working with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and each variety is displaying the acidity you would expect in a cool climate. This acidity is the focal point for me, as it not only cleanses the palate (especially beneficial with the tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon), it also preserves the freshness and brightness of the fruit and helps achieve an overall harmony.

To date, the Sauvignon Blanc from Maycas has been my favorite; this wine in the two vintages I have tasted to date (2007 and 2008) has the vibrancy and concentration of the best examples of Sauvignon Blanc; I would rate this as one of the three or four best examples of this variety in all of Chile. I am also quite pleased with the Maycas Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes off quite a bit different than the wonderful bottlings from the Maipo Valley. The Maycas cool climate Cab has lively acidity and bright fruit and while not as soft and as approachable as its Maipo counterparts, it has impeccable balance.

The Syrah is again defined largely by its acidity. The sunshine is plentiful in Chile, so Syrah is not a difficult grape to ripen in most regions of the country. This has lead to some pretty lush, unctious versions that are pleasing upon first taste, but often don't drink well afterwards. That's not a problem with the Maycas wine; my notes for the current 2008 bottling focus on the cassis, black plum and anise flavors along with its ideal ripeness and acidity as well as its nicely integrated oak. This is approachable now, but it really needs a bit of time to settle down- try it in 3-5 years. (At $22 retail, this is a fine value.)

Maria Luz Marin, Casa Marin, San Antonio Valley

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

At Casa Marin, Maria Luz Marin was one of the first producers to work with grapes from the tiny sub-zone of the San Antonio Valley, part of the Leyda Valley appellation. Marin's estate is very close to the Pacific Ocean, with the vineyards located anywhere from two to four miles from the coast, meaning very cool temperatures, which in turn, provide proper acidity and structure to the wines.

To date, Marin has earned much of her acclaim for her two briiliant single vineyard releases of Sauvignon Blanc: Cipresses and Laurel (I recently tasted the newly released 2009 Laurel, which is a rich and as complex as any bottling she has made to date). Now her Syrah from the Miramar Vineyard has reached new heights as well, not only for her but for the Chilean wine industry.

The 2008 has dried cherry fruit and a nice earthiness throughout; this is definitely more in a Rhone-style. Medium-full with a generous mid-palate and beautiful texture, the wine has very good acidity and round, gentle tannins. Overall, the wine is impeccably balanced with outstanding complexity. This is an outstanding wine and a reminder that Chile can produce elegant, seductive reds - it's not all about power and ripeness. (Look for this wine to drink well for 5-7 years; the price is $50.)

Chilean Pleasures for Summer - and beyond

Sauivgnon Blanc vineyard near Chile's coast

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Notes on a few new releases from Chile that combine quality with value:

2008 Meli Riesling (Maule Valley)
You don't often think about Riesling in Chile and admittedly, it's still a drop in the bucket here in terms of plantings. But there are some fine examples; this bottling offers pleasant tangerine and yellow peach aromas with just a touch of petrol (this is common with many fine Rieslings, especially from the Southern Hemisphere) and has good weight on the palate with a dry finish and tart acidity. Don't think about putting this away for several years - rather enjoy it over the next 12-15 months with lighter seafood or stir-fry vegetables. ($12)

2009 Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc “Quelat” (Casablanca Valley)
Chile's cool Casablanca Valley is an ideal area for Sauvignon Blanc; this example offers lovely varietal aromas of spearmint and fresh hay. Medium-bodied, with a gentle entry on the palate, this is well-balanced with good acidity. This would be ideal with medium-bodied seafood influenced by herbs such as chervil. ($16)

2009 Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc “Single Vineyard” (D.O. Aconcagua)
Readers know of my love for Sauvignon Blancs from Chile. After the variety became a success in Casablanca Valley, a few vintners planted it in extremely cool zones near the ocean, such as San Antonio and Leyda Valleys. The wines from these two areas have become some the world's finest Sauvignons over the past five to seven years.

Now producers in other regions are looking to the coolest reaches of their land to plant Sauvignon Blanc as well. Late last year, I wrote about the brilliant Cool Coast bottling from Casa Silva in Colchagua Valley; this wine being a signal that there were cool sites in many regions in Chile that could yield wines of great complexity.

Now comes this bottling from Errazuriz in the Aconcagua Valley. Like Colchagua, Aconcagua is thought of as a red wine zone, due to its warm inland temperatures. But a small area near the sea, known as Aconcagua Costa, has been developed by the winery for Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was first produced from the 2008 vintage; the 2009 displays distinctive aroms of bell pepper, spearmint and lime backed by impressive depth of fruit and a lengthy finish. Although not as aromatically complex as the finest examples from Leyda and San Antonio (such as Casa Marin, Amayna and Leyda Vineyards), this has beautiful structure and should improve and drink welll for 3-5 years. The $15 price tag represents a great value! I loved the winery's 2008 Single Vineyard Carmenere, which I tried at the Wines of Chile tasting in Chicago this past April; based on these two wines, I'd have to rank Errazuriz as one of leaders of the country's wine scene. I can't wait to try the latest releases of their other specialty wines (Chardonnay Wild Ferment, Pinot Noir Wild Ferment, Single Vineyard Sangiovese).




2008 Gracia Pinot Noir Reserva Santa Ana Estate Block 45 (Bio-Bio Valley)
Just as in most countries around the world, Pinot Noir is a challenge in Chile. Again, look to the cool zones such as Casblanca and San Antonio for the finest examples. Now a few very good examples are emerging from the far southern region of Bio-Bio. This 2008 from Gracia is medium-bodied and focuses on wild cherry fruit along with notes of cardamom and bacon fat. It has an earthy, slightly herbal finish with very good acidity and moderate tannins; pair this with chicken in red wine or duck. While this is not a powerful wine, there is certainly a lot of character for the $12 price.

Top Wines from Chile

Claudia Gomez, Winemaker, Garcés-Silva (Amayna)

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Wines of Chile USA held an excellent wine tasting in Chicago on Tuesday, April 27. What follows are my thoughts on the top wines, arranged by category:


SAUVIGNON BLANC
I am a passionate devotee of Sauvignon Blanc the world over and this has clearly been the most exciting development over the past five to seven years in Chile. One could also say that this is arguably the country's top performing variety now, though you'd certainly get an argument from Cabernet Sauvignon producers.

The turnaround has been the result of planting the finest French and American clones in the coolest climates, from Casablanca Valley to San Antonio and Leyda (a sub-zone of San Antonio) near the Pacific Ocean. As a whole the wines show beautiful varietal purity, from spearmint and melon in Casablanca to kiwi, pink grapefruit and gooseberry for the San Antonio examples.

The best examples at the tasting included:

2009 Amayna (San Antonio Valley-Leyda)
2009 Casa Silva "Cool Coast" (Colchagua)
2009 Cono Sur "Vision" Loma Roja Block (Casablanca)

These three wines are exceptional and offer great evidence of the brilliance of this variety in Chile. The Amayna, from immaculately farmed vineyards at this gorgeous estate less than seven miles from the Pacific offers intense gooseberrry and stone fruit flavors, lovely texture, vibrant acidity and great persistence in the lengthy finish. Winemaker Claudia Gomez has made this wine into one of the top four or five in the country by emphasizing the influence of the razor's edge climate in Leyda. At a suggested retail of $20, this may be the finest Sauvignon Blanc value in the world.

I wrote about the Casa Silva wine in a post this past December; the wine mirrors the Amayna in its aromatic complexity and vareital purity; it is only slightly less racy in its profle. Getting a Sauvignon Blanc this good from Colchagua, normally known for its big red wines, is a wonderful development for Chile. (Suggested retail $23)

The Cono Sur is amazingly fruity with appealing pink grapefruit aromatics. The texture on this wine is gorgeous, while the acidity is pinpoint. This is, in a word, delicious. I recently tasted a 2006 Vision Sauvignon Blanc from Cono Sur and it was in fine shape, so look for this wine to drink well for 3-5 years. (SRP $15- a steal. If I owned a wine bar, I'd invest in this as soon as possible.)


CARMENERE
Chile's own grape, Carmenere is finally starting to realize the promise it can deliver. Originally confused with Merlot, it has now been 15 years since it was correctly identified as a separate variety that had been brought over from Bordeaux in the nineteenth century.

Growers now plant Carmenere in better sites, as they realize the grape needs a warm climate to ripen fully and display its fruit as well as signature spice (Colchagua Valley has become a leading area for the grape.) Too many versions in the previous decade were overly herbaceous, but more and more versions now display proper ripeness and well as excellent complexity.

Among the best at the tasting were:

2008 Terra Andina Reserva (Rapel) ($13)
2007 Montes "Alpha" (Colchagua) ($25)
2005 Santa Rita "Pehuen" (Apalta, Colchagua) ($65)
2008 Errazuriz Single Vineyard (Aconcagua) ($20- excellent value)

The Santa Rita is ont of the most intense examples of Carmenere in the country; this could become one of Chile's signature wines. For me, the Errazuriz is the most pleasant surprise; this is a dynamic wine - big and bold with great spice. What a powerful wine that offers superb balance! This should peak in another 7-10 years and it is an amazing value for $20. You'd have to spend two to three times that for simiilar quality from a Napa or Bordeaux red.




SYRAH
While Syrah has really never caught on in California, the variety is becoming more important each year in Chile. "You will see a lot of Syrah in Chile in the coming years," Alfonso Unduraga, commercial director for Koyle, a new wine project, told me. "The wines have beautiful color and structure."

Indeed the Syrah grape seems to love the warmth of the Chilean sunshine. My favorites at the tasting included:


2007 Koyle (Maipo/Colchagua) ($17)
2007 Antu (Colchagua) ($21)
2006 Maycas (Limari) ($23)
2008 Amayna (San Antonio-Leyda) ($35)
2006 Lapostolle "Cuvee Alexandre" Las Kuras (Colchagua) ($30)

Each of these wines offered very good ripeness and balance with good varietal character. To me, these are crowd-pleasing wines, as the are rich and ripe without the tannic bittterness of a young Cabernet Sauvignon. The Amayna, from a very cool climate, displays bright fruit and sleek acidity. Look for even bigger and better things with Chilean Syrah.


CABERNET SAUVIGNON
To date, the most celebrated wines of Chile have been the Cabernet Sauvignons and blends dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The most famous of these have been from the Alto Maipo, located some 30 miles southeast of Santiago. The reds here are most often identified by the purity of their fruit along with their supple tannins. Among my favorites at the tasting included:

2008 Peñalolen (Maipo Valley) ($18)
2006 Santa Ema "Catalina" - blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc (Cachapoal) ($40)
2005 Santa Rita "Casa Real" (Maipo) ($75)

The Peñalolen is a particularly flavorful wine for the price and offers nice richness, while the Santa Ema has a silky elegance with the Santa Rita Casa Real displaying the breeding and structure of old vines in the heart of Maipo Valley.


A final note on this tasting:
There was an excellent array of wines in various price ranges and styles; overall this was a noteworthy presentation of the state of Chilean wine today. However, I wish more winery representatives from Chile were in attendance! I realize that harvest is still going on in some regions, but Claudia Gomez did attend, so I thought there might be other winemakers as well. However, if harvest is a problem, perhaps the tasting should be moved one way or another.

Several wineries sent along a commercial director from Chile in lieu of their winemaker, which is just fine, as these people deal with the wines on an everyday basis. Kudos to Santa Ema, Santa Rita and Koyle, just to name a few, for doing this.

But too many wines were being poured by distributor salespeople. Most were helpful and could answer my questions, but let's face it, these people, no matter how knowledgeable, are not directly tied in to the wineries. I realize that as a writer, I have a lot of questions and attend an event such as this to make contacts in the business. But I have to think that consumers who attended the tasting later in the evening, also want that personal touch. You want to see the Chileans who work with these wines on a daily basis, not a local salesperson.

I realize that it's impossible to get every winery set up that way, as personal schedules sometimes get in the way. But attend most specialized tastings of French and Italian wines and you get those individuals to show up and pour their wines. The same should be true for the Chileans.

Chile clearly has world-class wines, but the fact of the matter is that there just isn't the excitement caused by these wines, as with bottlings from Napa Valley, France, Italy or Spain. Maybe that's not fair, but that's the reality. So the Chileans need to go first-class with their events and do all the can to get the trade and consumers excited about their products. One way to do that is for winery associates to attend the tastings and press the flesh. People love that immediacy and they can identify an individual with his or her wine. They can't do that with a local salesperson.

Values from Chile

Sign identifying Sauvignon Blanc Clone 242 in a Leyda Valley vineyard

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

I love the wines of Chile and I’ve done my share of writing about the qualities of this country’s efforts, especially with the vibrant white wines of San Antonio and Leyda as well as the gorgeous reds from Maipo and Colchagua Valleys. These wines represent the upper tier of Chile’s wines and frankly are not as well-known as they should be.

What everyone knows about Chile are the moderately priced wines that are well made and offer fine values. While I don’t want to perpetuate a myth that Chile only produces these values offerings, well, I don’t want to dismiss these wines either, especially today, when so many people have to save money to make it through difficult times. So here is a brief list of some notable values from Chile.


2008 Leyda Sauvignon Blanc “Classic” (Leyda Valley)
Close by the Pacific Ocean, San Antonio Valley and the sub-zone Leyda Valley have become the home of some amazing examples of Sauvignon Blanc. Here is one of the finest values from this area; a wine that offers aromas of grapefruit and Anjou pear, has good richness along with lively acidity and textbook varietal flavors. A great match for shrimp and clams, this is a great way to discover the characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc from Leyda Valley and is an amazing value at $12! I can’t imagine a better example of Sauvignon Blanc for the price from anywhere in the world.

2008 Carmen Sauvignon Blanc Reserva (Casablanca Valley)
This has been one of my favorite Chilean Sauvignon Blancs for some time and the 2008 is another lovely bottling. This has a nice note of spearmint along with flavors of lime and grapefruit and is very round and elegant in the finish with cleansing acidity and excellent depth of fruit. Drink over the next 2-3 years with sautéed shrimp or risotto. ($16)

2008 Santa Rita Chardonnay “Medalla Real” (Limarí Valley)
The grapes for this wine come from the cool northwestern zone of Limarí Valley, only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful lemon custard, spiced pear and ginger aromas with tropical fruit flavors on the palate, this is quite rich with nicely integrated oak and a rich, lightly spicy finish. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years with a variety of seafood, from tilapia to sea bass. ($16)

2007 Calcu (Colchagua Valley)
Here is an excellent blended red from Colchagua Valley, home to so many flavorful, bold offerings. A mix of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, this has plenty of red cherry and currant fruit along with notes of red pepper. Medium-bodied with tart acidity, this has moderate tannins and a clean, round finish. A fine match for most red meats or stews over the next 2-3 years. A steal at $12!

2007 Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere (Colchagua)
This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon/30% Carmenere is a nicely balaned, middle-weight red with red cherry, cedar and sage aromas. This is not a powerhouse, but a nicely styled, subtle offering for foods such as pork chops, grilled meats or ligher game over the next 2-3 years. ($12)

2005 Maycas Cabernet Sauvignon (Limarí Valley)
At $23, this is priced higher than some consumers want to spend for a value wine, but to me that word is relative; this is a wonderful value. Deep ruby red, this has perfectly ripe black currant fruit with notes of menthol and subtle oak. The tannins are refined and ultra smooth, giving this wine a graceful and elegant finish. This has ideal strucure for aging another 5-7 years (or perhaps even longer). While filet is a natural match, I love this with roast duck, especially with the big fruit flavors of this wine. Mouthfilling and delicious, this is a great success and proof that a cool climate such as Limarí can be an ideal zone for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Check these out!

A few recommended new posts from my blogging brothers and sisters out there:

At Eat Wine, Liz Caskey, an American who now lives in Chile, normally addresses local foods and wines. Her new post (read here) is about three wines that her husband and she recently enjoyed. They include a gorgeous Maipo red, as well as a lovely Albariño from Uruguay (a surprise to many of us, but not to Liz) and a beautiful Ribera del Duero from Spain. Nice descriptions of the wines as well as some excellent food recommendations.

At The Blend, Alonso Cevola addresses a timely issue - some great rosés for summer (read here). This one's all about Italian rosés, from Piedmont to Sicily and there are got some great choices, including the 2008 Centine from Banfi. Alfonso, I've got a bottle at home and based on your recommendation, I'll try it tonight!

At The Wine Camp Blog, Craig Camp discusses his thoughts on all the new wine blogs out there and finds that it's a good thing! This one's about a month old, but it's definitely worth looking into (read here.)

Finally at VinoWire.com, Jeremy Parzen has posted his translation of a letter from the Consorzio in Alba that promotes Barolo and Barbaresco. The letter was sent to my friend (and Jeremy's blogging partner) Franco Ziliani in Italy; it has to do with a defense of the 2006 vintage in the Langhe. As influential producer Bruno Giacosa is not bottling any Barolo or Barbaresco from the 2006 vintage, doubts have been raised about the vintage. You can read the letter here; this is a fascinating issue that may not go away for awhile. I can attest to dozens of very good to excellent examples of Barbaresco from 2006 that I tasted in May in Alba (I'll taste the 2006 Barolos next year).

Falletto Vineyard of Bruno Giacosa, Serralunga d'Alba

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

We may never know the complete story as to why Bruno Giacosa made the decision not to bottle his 2006 Barolo or Barbaresco (he did bottle his 2006 Barbera and Nebbiolo d'Alba), but I see no reason for speculating on it- what's done is done. It is a shame that some "journalists" out there have put their own spin on this by claiming that this is a clear message that 2006 was not a succesful vintage in the Langhe. It was indeed - just try the wines! Kudos to Franco and Jeremy for reporting on this!

If you want to read more about the 2006 vintage in the Langhe, Franco Ziliani has just written an article for the Association of Italian Sommeliers site (read here).

This is an excellent article (in Italian) with comments from several producers of Barolo and Barbaresco. A few excerpts: Sergio Barale, a first-rate Barolo producer speaks of "the beautiful structure and color" of his 2006 Barolos and Barbaresco. Maurizio Giacosa of Fratelli Giacosa in Neive, talks about the aging potential of his 2006 Barbaresco, mentioning that they "are not inferior to his 2004 or 2005." Tino Colla of Poerdi Colla says that "2006 is in line with the two years that preceded it and with the two following years." In other words, 2006 is an excellent vintage!

A typicallly excellent article from Franco Ziliani and one that should clear up confusion about the quality of the 2006 Barolos and Barbarescos. Grazie, Franco!