Chilean Wine

You often hear the terms, new world and old world wine. This is just a reference to different wine regions throughout the world. Old world wines generally refer to European countries (France, Italy, Spain etc.) who have been wine producing countries for many centuries. New world wine is referring to those countries who have only been involved with wine production for the last 100 years or so (USA, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, etc.). Most of these new world countries have had European immigrants and basically brought old world vines and techniques to their new homes and started making wine. Chile is one of these regions that have a lot of European influence and it shows through the varietals they have decided to plant there. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate the production coming from Chile, with Pinot Noir constantly on the rise. Although Chile is going through a Boutique movement currently, with a lot of small, independent wineries popping up; its’ winemaking history has been dominated by a few large scale producers within the country. For example, Los Vascos is a very popular and recognizable Chilean Brand. Los Vascos is a Rothschild project; which is a very renowned name in Bordeaux. Most of these Chilean wines got there start from a foreign organization coming in and starting the process. Along with the right climate and soil, this is what influenced the decision when planting these certain varietals. Chile offers great options at what I believe still to be very affordable prices. With the Malbec boom in Argentina and the Sauvignon Blanc boom in New Zealand, Chile is still trying to find there big breakthrough in the wine world. Chile is a lot like California. A long narrow profile all along the Pacific Coast to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east allow for ideal wine conditions pretty much all over the country, with a few exceptions. This allows so much versatility in what you can grow well here. Chile is still discovering what they do well, but has a lot of established great wines. Here are a few of my favorite wines amongst the before mentioned varietals from Chile….

Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc (10.99) I mentioned before Los Vascos is one of the most recognizable estates in Chile. Managed by the Rothschild family, whos’ involvement began in the 1980’s, The Sauvignon Blanc is produced from the Casablanca and Curico Valley’s. These areas do have a lot of similarities to Bordeaux, where they produce oddly enough a lot of Sauvignon Blanc. It is a coastal cool climate that lends itself to Sauvignon Blanc and the more widely planted chardonnay. This is a very classic style Sauvignon Blanc with plenty of citrus tones and bright acidity. This wine is definitely a great option for the price.

Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay (12.99) Lapostolle is another heavy hitter in the Chilean wine game. Founded by the Marnier-Lapostolle families in 1994 this has grown to be one of the largest exported Chilean Brands. More French influence! This Chardonnay is from the Casablanca Valley as well. 100% Chardonnay that has just a touch of oak influence (16% mixed between new and experienced oak barrels, the rest in stainless steel) which makes this a classic version of Chardonnay with pear and apple flavors complimented by good, fresh acidity.


Santa Rita Reserva Carmenere (14.99) Carmenere is a lost Bordeaux varietal believed to be Merlot in Chile for a long time. It has now become kind of their namesake in the case that it is pretty much exclusively produced in Chile. It has the stereotype of being “green” which is a wine term to describe that sort of bitter, vegetal taste in the wine. Although some Carmenere and Cabernet in Chile definitely have this negative characteristic, some don’t. Santa Rita has 120 years of winemaking history making it one of the oldest wineries in Chile. This Carmenere is from the Rapel Valley which is just South of Santiago. This wine has great fruit and spice expression integrated with smooth but definitely present tannins. This is what I believe to be a classic example of Chile’s signature grape; Carmenere.

Santa Ema Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (16.99) Although this winery began production in the 1950’s it did not start exporting wine until the 1980’s. The Reserve Cabernet is from the Maipo Valley which is just southwest of Santiago sandwiched between the Pacific and the Andes. (As are all the winegrowing Valleys in Chile, they generally run east to west along a river between the mountains and the ocean.) This wine sees 8-10 months in French oak creating a very complex wine for the price. It has notes of cherry, prune, tobacco and coffee. This is a great value for good Cabernet if California prices have offended you a little lately.

All in all I think there is still a lot of bang for your buck in Chile. I believe it sometimes gets looked over and forgotten in the wine world. With so many possibilities because of their climate and terrior, I am excited to see what comes out of Chile over the next couple of decades. That being said there are plenty of great wines already being produced and worth trying,

Enjoy,

Nick
Wine Buyer