Chilean Style - in the bottle and on the label

Visit and see these free shipping on wine deals.

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.

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.

Another Great Sauvignon Blanc from Chile

I have a love affair with Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, so when I hear about a new release that looks intriguing, I have to try it. So when Margaret Snook profiled the Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc in her blog recently, I was determined to find this wine.

Fortunately for me, the importer of this wine – Vin diVino – is about a five minute’s walk from my home, so I was able to get a sample bottle, as the wine had just arrived a day or two earlier. I tried the wine this week and can tell you it is worth the early raves.

Casa Silva recently released this 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from their new Paredones Estate (planted in 2006) located just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. Vintners in several areas in Chile have been looking to cool climates for Sauvignon Blanc as well as Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir to a greater degree over the past decade and the results have often been spectacular, as with the bottlings from San Antonio and Leyda Valleys, a bit west and south of Santiago. This estate of Casa Silva is an exciting new venture, at it is located in the Colchagua Valley, approximately one hundred miles south of Santiago. As Colchagua is best known for its powerful red wines, it is fascinating to see Casa Silva turn to Sauvignon Blanc in this region (this new estate is also planted to Pinot Noir, a variety that must have a cool climate to thrive.)

The wine is truly special – here are my tasting notes:

Brilliant straw with a slight youthful effervesence. Room-filling aromas of grapefruit, lime and pear zest. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Richly textured with great persistence of fruit, vibrant, lip-smacking acidity and outstanding texture. Superb varietal character. So appealing now, but should drink well for 3-5 years.

Simply put, this is an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc that is among the three or four best I have ever tried from Chile. How exciting that another new zone in Chile has emerged for extraordinary cool climate Sauvignon Blanc. This has been one of the major developments in the wine industry over the past five or six years and if you haven’t tried a Sauvignon Blanc from a producer such as Casa Marin, Leyda, Matetic (EQ) Amayna or now Casa Silva with their Cool Coast bottling, you need to find these wines and discover what all the excitement is about!

The 2009 Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc will be available on a limited basis in a few US markets. Suggested retail will be a very reasonable $22 per bottle.

Carmenère turns 15 - at least by its proper name

Vineyards of Carmen Winery, Maipo Valley

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

The 15th anniversary of Carmenère

Happy 15th Birthday to Carmenère! Or maybe I should say, Happy Discovery Day, for it was 15 years ago – on November 24th, 1994, to be exact - that the Carmenère grape was correctly idenitifed in Chile by the French ampelographer, Jean Michael Boursiquot.

Carmenère was brought to Chile from France when phylloxera devastated the vineyards in Bordeaux in the second half of the 1800s. As the grape did not provide a meaningful part of the finest Bordeaux wines, most growers gave up on it when they replanted their vineyards. As Chile had a phylloxera-free environment, Carmenère and several other grapes from Bordeaux were introduced to Chilean soil.

However for years, most growers thought the grape was Merlot and treated it as such. Finally, some 15 years ago, the mistake was corrected and since then, there has been greater research conducted with this variety. For a while, it was named Grand Vidure (Carmen in Maipo Valley was one of the first to identify the grape as such), but today all producers label the variety as Carmenère.

Given its higher acidity and more pronounced spice than Merlot, it is surprising that Carmenère was incorrectly identified for such a long time. Because of this mistake, the grape was probably planted in some areas that were wrong for the variety. Carmenère needs a warmer climate, as underripe examples are green and overly herbaceous. Today many of the finest plantings are from Colchagua Valley and Maipo Valley.

Here are notes on a few bottlings of Carmenère available in the market today, both as monovarietal bottings along with a few examples blended with other red grapes:


GOOD

2008 HACIENDA ARAUCANO Carmenère (Valle de Colchagua) - François Lurton
Deep ruby red-light purple with aromas of ripe black plum and tobacco. Medium-bodied, this has a spicy finish (tobacco, clove) with moderate tannins and slightly tangy acidity. Enjoy this over the next 1-2 years. ($12)

2008 MONTGRAS Carmenère Reserva (Colchagua Valley)
Bright ruby red with aromas of black plum and dried flowers. Medium-bodied, this has tasty plum fruit and notes of black licorice in the finish. Enjoy this easy-drinking wine over the next 1-2 years. ($12)


VERY GOOD

2006 CASA SILVA Carmenère Reserva (Colchagua Valley)
Bright ruby red with aromas of black cherry, coriander, black pepper and vanilla. Medium-full with very good concentration. Rich mid-palate. Big finish with medium weight tannins, ample oak and balanced acidity. Give this a bit of time to settle down. Good varietal character, but a bit too much oak and alcohol. Best in 5-7 years. ($12)

2007 TERRA ANDINA Carmenère (Rapel Valley)
Beautiful bright purple with aromas of black plum and notes of black pepper and clove. Medium-bodied, this is tasty with a finish that has elegant tannins and very good persistence. Very nice value for only $13.

2007 MONT GRAS ANTU NINQUEN Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère (Colchagua Valley)
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Carmenère. Black currant, blackberry and vanilla aromas. Medium-full, this is rich on the palate and has a lengthy tannins with robust tannins, ample oak and balanced tannins. Give this time to settle down – best in 5-7 years. ($19)


EXCELLENT

2006 CARMEN Carmenère-Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva (Maipo Valley)
Bright ruby red with aromas of sage, black pepper, cherry and menthol. Medium-full wth very good concentration, sensual flavors of vanilla and black cherry and a lengthy, well-balanced finish with harmonious tannins and good acidity. Good varietal character without the bittnerness you might expect. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. ($20)

2006 CASA SILVA Carmenère Reserva “Los Lingues” (Colchagua Valley)
Deep ruby red-light purple with aromas of black plum, myrtle and clove. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Rich mid-palate and excellent fruit persistence. Youthful tannins, ample oak and balanced acidity. I’d like to see a bit less oak, but otherwise this is an impressive wine that should be at its best in 7-10 years. ($24)

2007 SANTA RITA Carmenère "Medalla Real" (Colchagua)
Bright purple with aromas of black plum, molasses, black licorice and vanilla. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Rich mid-palate, round, elegant tannins and wonderful varietal character. Best over the next 5-7 years. Excellent value at $20 (and perhaps less in some markets).

2007 MONTES “ALPHA” Carmenère “Marchigue Vineyard” (D.O. Colchagua)
Deep ruby red-light purple. Aromas of black cherry, black raspberry and black plum preserves. Medium-full with very good concentration. Ripe and forward, but nicely balanced with appropriate oak and acidity and supple tannins. A pleasant note of black pepper in the finish. A very appealing wine to be enjoyed over the next 3-5 years with leg of lamb or grilled pork loin. ($24)





OUTSTANDING

2005 CARMEN Winemaker’s Reserve Red (Maipo Valley)
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Carmenère and 25% Petite Syrah. Deep ruby red-light purple with aromas of tar, blackcurrant, black peppercorn and hints of bitter chocolate. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Elegant entry on the palate and a long finish with silky tannins, lively acidity and nicely integrated oak. Very classy! Elegant through and through, enjoy this over the next 12-15 years. ($44)

2005 HACIENDA ARAUCANO Carmenère “Alka” (Colchagua Valley)
100% Carmenère from vines with an average age of 40 years. Bright ruby red with beautiful aromas of morellino cherry and lavender. Medium-full, this is a beautifully structured Carmenère with lively acidity, subtle oak and fine grain tannins. The lengthy finish features notes of tar, mincemeat and orange zest. This is notable not only for its varietal purity, but also for its finesse. A few producers have turned up the volume of oak with their bottlings of Carmenère, whlie the Lurtons have opted for a more subdued approach with their oak. First-rate, this is approachable now thanks to its elegance, but will be at its best in 10-12 years. ($60)