Chilean Style - in the bottle and on the label

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For some years now, I've enjoyed a delicious red wine from the Chilean producer Maquis called Lien. This blend from the Colchagua Valley has deep color, ripe black fruit, moderate oak, good acidity and is a very drinkable wine that offers a lot of pleasure for $18. Now that I've tried two other new red wine releases from this winery, I'd thought I'd write about these products in some detail.

Back in 1927, the Hurtado family planted vines in the Colchagua Valley on property situated between two rivers. For many years, this fruit was sold to other producers, but twelve years ago, the family decided to replant these vineyards with the finest clones from both Chile and France. In 2002, they built a gravity flow winery and made their first bottling of Lien, a "Super-Chilean" red, a blend of Carmenére, Syrah, Cabenet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Offering ripe black cherry and mulberry fruit along with notes of bitter chocolate in the aromas and finish, this is a medium-bodied, irresistible red that can accompany most red meats (I love it with lamb). The word "Lien" incidentally means "silver metal", referring to the Spanish coins that were once melted to produce impressive jewelry such as the silver lizard (represented near the top of this post) that graces the label of this wine.

The two new releases from the Maquis estate vineyards are from 2009 and are Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenére. What I like about these wines - as well as the Mien - is the restraint. Colchagua is a warm inland valley where many of Chile's most famous red wines are produced. However, I've found myself shying away from many reds from Colchagua as they are too ripe and almost jammy in certain instances. Thankfully, that is not the case with the Maquis wines.

Here are notes on the wines:

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon- Bright, deep ruby red/light purple with textbook aromas of black currant, cherry and hints of tobacco. Medium-full, there is good ripeness, subtle oak influence, round tannins and good acidity. A delight to drink now, enjoy over the next 3-5 years. Very fairly priced at $20.

2009 Carmenére - As much as I enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Carmenére is even better. Bright ruby red with aromas of black cherry and plum along with notes of white pepper. Medium-full, this has good depth of fruit, moderate tannins, balanced acidity and a light herbal note in the finish. Very good varietal character; this should be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Excellent wine that is a fine value at its $20 price tag.

What I really enjoyed about this Carmenére was its combination of balance as well as varietal character. While there have been some ultra impressive bottlings of Carmenére from various Chilean vintners at $40, 50 and $75 a bottle, producers are still finding their way with this variety when the wine retails at $25 and under. I've had too many examples of moderately priced Carmenére that are either overly herbaceous with almost a green, tart edge to them or else they are overwhelmed by peppery notes in the aromas. Thus the Maquis bottling, striking perfect balance between fruit and a light herbal nature, is an excellent achievement at the $20 price.

I love the wines and I also treasure the labels- take a look at them. Beautiful packaging and wines that offer great pleasure- a winning combination from Maquis!

The wines of Maquis are imported in the US by Global Vineyard Importers, Berkeley, CA.

Struggling with Syrah in Chile

Given the success of Syrah across the globe - there are notable examples from warm and cool climates - it is only natural that the producers of Chile would want to work with this variety. There certainly are plenty of warm areas in the country where the variety thrives, be it modestly priced bottlings from the Central Valley or more full-bodied offerings from an excellent territory such as the Colchagua Valley, some 175 miles south of Santiago. 

Lately however, some vintners are experimenting with Syrah in cool climates and results are encouraging, though wildly uneven. A cool climate for a variety such as Syrah will often mean a very deep color as well as very good natural acidity. As the tannins are never very strong with Syrah, the wines are approachable upon release, though the structure of these wines argue for at least a few years of aging.

To date, my favorite Syrah from Chile has been from Maycas in the Limarí Valley in northern Chile not far from the Pacific Ocean. There are only a handful of producers that are working here and the wines from Maycas, especially the Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, display excellent varietal character and intensity along with beautiful complexity. These are not simple, fruit-forward wines, but bottlings with ideal structure for aging for 5-7 years and they are priced quite fairly right around $20 or even a few dollars less.

So I was intrigued to learn what's been going on with Syrah in Chile lately, especially with versions made from grapes in cool climates. I tasted versions from Limarí, Leyda, Casablanca and Lolol Valleys are the results were a bit disappointing. The best wine I sampled was the 2009 Reserva from Tamaya in Limarí Valley. Though not as rich as the Maycas (the 2008 was the most recent Syrah I've tasted from them), the Tamaya did offer very fine complexity and balance with an appealing note of dark chocolate in the finish. The wine should be at its best in 3-5 years, while the $18 price tag is fair for this style and quality.

I also enjoyed the more approachable 2009 Undurraga from Leyda Valley, part of their T.H. series of wines (T.H. for terroir hunter, a clever name!). This is a medium-bodied, round, straightforward Syrah with blackberry, black plum and chocolate flavors, medium tannins and good acidity. It's got a little bit of spice, making it a nice partner for grilled meats and lighter game. It's very elegant and well made, though the $25 price range seems a bit high for the overall quality.

There were other Syrahs I tasted recently that just weren't very good; I don't believe in embarrassing producers, so I won't mention them. But overall, I'm just not finding the quality with Syrah in Chile as I have been recently with Pinot Noir (see post). Too many of the wines are overly ripe and have deep purple colors, yielded no doubt from the ever present Chilean sunshine as well as too much time in small oak barrels (one example I had was basically black in color and opaque - you literally couldn't see through it). Do we need all this oak with Syrah from Chile? Do we need jammy, super ripe bottlings of Syrah from Chile? It's as though the producers were chasing points when they crafted these wines. They may be for some people, but they're not for me. I have to think that even the people that like them now may do so for a momentary pleasure, as this style is a bit of a flash in the pan. These wines are not elegant and would overwhelm most food.

So what I've learned so far about Syrah in Chile is that Limarí is an ideal zone for this variety as is Leyda (I've also enjoyed a few lovely examples of Syrah from Matetic/EQ in Leyda- the wines offer excellent structure). I have to think there are other areas as well that are capable of notweworthy Syrah. I just haven't tried many, I'm sorry to say. 

Perfecting Pinot Noir in Chile

For decades now, vintners in Chile have known the benefit of the warmth of the sun. Theirs is a moderate to warm climate, meaning that conditions are ideal for varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and their local grape, Carmenere. The country's finest reds have been made from these varieties, from areas such as Maipo Valley (especially the Alto Maipo, a bit southeast of Santiago), Colchagua and Aconcagua Valleys.

But there are a few dozen producers that have wanted to scratch an itch for years and that itch is working with cool climate varieties, especially Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Syrah. It all started in the 1980s when Pablo Morandé planted several varieties in Casablanca Valley some 12-15 miles from the Pacific Ocean. He took the chance, it paid off with many lovely wines and today, there are many established wine estates in Casablanca, while many other source fruit from this zone.

About a decade ago, a few more intrepid producers ventured even farther west, planting Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and one or two other varieties in the Leyda and San Antonio Valleys. These wine zones are extremely close to the Pacific, with some vineyards as close as 2-5 miles from the ocean. This is a razor's edge climate, so ripening it sometimes difficult, but when it works, it does so brilliantly.

To date, I've tasted some lovely Pinot Noirs from San Antonio and Leyda, most notably from Casa Marin as well as Leyda Vineyards. I've also tasted some beautiful examples from Morandé and William Cole in Casablanca. However, I've also had some bottlings from these zones that have been disappoining, ranging from overripe to underipe to harsh and slightly bitter. It's clear that while Chilean Pinot Noir has improved dramatically over the past two decades, much works needs to be done.


I recently tasted three fine examples of Chilean Pinot Noir that I'll mention in brief.

The first was the Valdivieso Reserva 2009 from Casablanca Valley. My notes mention "fresh, attractive aromas of bing cherry along with a note of cardamom spice; medium-bodied, this has good concentration and varietal character, medium-weight tannins, tart acidity and a light touch of wood."

This is an elegant Pinot Noir that is styled for many types of food and is fairly priced at $17. I think most consumers looking for Pinot Noir in this price range would be very happy with this wine.


The second wine was the Veramonte "Ritual" 2009 from Casablanca Valley. I've enjoyed this winery's bottlings for many years now, be it the delightful Sauvignon Blanc or the red blend known as Primus. The wines are well made and offer very good to excellent character for their prices.

But as good as those wines are, they did not prepare me for the qualities, complexities and character of this new Pinot Noir. Displaying aromas of bing cherry, cardamom and a hint of bacon fat, this wine has delicious varietal fruit with perfect ripeness and a lovely elegance. The finish has good length and is quite flavorful and everything is in balance- the acidity is very good, tannins are round and silky and the wood notes are quite subtle.

For $20 retail, this is a steal. I would be happy to pay $30 for this, as here is a wine with beautiful varietal character, lovely texture and impeccable balance. I've tasted $40 and $50 Pinot Noirs from other countries that haven't had this sort of complexity and finesse. Best yet, this is a lovely food wine - I think it would pair especially well with a Thai preparation of chicken or pork.

Finally, I sampled the Cono Sur "Ocio" 2008 from Casablanca Valley. This producer has a series of special selection and single vineyard wines that have greatly impressed me in the past (especially the "20 Barrels" Sauvignon Blanc). This Pinot Noir has lovely varietal character, excellent depth of fruit and a velvety feel in the mouth. It is quite rich with beautiful ripeness, very good acidity and excellent persistence.

The only problem I have with this wine is the excessive oak; the wine was aged for one year in small oak barrels. Oak in Pinot Noir is a delicate thing and it doesn't take much for a wine to be laden with wood notes. I prefer a different approach to aging a glorious wine such as this in oak, but the winemaker was looking for a particular style. This approach is also taken with numerous vintners of showcase Pinot Noirs in California and Oregon, so this wine is not alone in its balance of fruit and oak. Besides, the wine still has an elegant feel to it; there are no bitter wood tannins present.

This is a trophy wine, so to speak, and is a fine example of what Chile can produce with Pinot Noir. Producing notable wines from this grape is a work in progress in many great areas around the world, even in superb zones like Sta. Rita Hills or the Santa Lucia Highlands in California, so Chile is holding its own with the variety. Based on these three wines, the future looks exciting for Pinot Noir in Chile.


P.S. A final note- the Cono Sur bottling retails for $65, this price no doubt due to its limited availability. But for me, I'll take three bottles of the Veramonte "Ritual" over one bottle of the Cono Sur bottling every time!

A Dynamic Biodynamic Wine

There is a lot of talk these days about organic and biodynamic viticulture in several wine regions around the world. Several producers in Chile have turned to organic farming, while a precious few are now working according to biodynamic practices (" a natural biological balance"- read more here). For me the leading biodynamic producer in Chile is Emiliana, located in Colchagua Valley).

There are all sorts of thoughts about biodynamic wines and how they differ from traditionally farmed vineyards; for me, the finest examples have a finesse and length to them that I don't often find in "standard" wines. That is certainly true with the Emiliana Coyam from the 2007 vintage. This is a complex wine, blended from Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot and Petit Verdot, aged in both French and American oak. Medium-full, the wine has beautiful black cherry, black plum and cigar box aromas, a generous mid-palate and a nicely structured finish with good acidity and nicely balanced tannins. This is approachable now, but should be at its best in 5-7 years; I'd recommend pairing this with veal medallions, roast pork or duck. The retail price is $29, which I think is quite fair, given the structure, complexity and elegance of this wine. You will not be disappointed.