A viticultural paradise with hot, sunny days, chilly nights, little rain and
cooling breezes, Chile is famous for being the only wine-producing
country free of the devastating phylloxera bug. Despite the rise of Argentina, which produces twice
as much wine, Chile remains South America's (and arguable the world's)
finest source of well-priced, excellent quality varietal wines with sleek,
fruity reds and ripe, clean whites. Rosés, sparklers and even sweet wines
also do well here. As ambitious winemakers search for better sites (especially
higher up and in cooler areas), and constantly improve techniques in the winery
and vineyard, some truly fine wines are beginning to emerge. Joint ventures
like Almaviva, between Concha y
Toro and Mouton-Rothschild,
lead the way and many are following.
The vine was introduced to Chile's Central Valley by
the Spanish Conquistadores in the mid-16th century, but 1851
marked the turning point for the Chilean wine industry when Silvestre Ochagavia
Echazarreta imported and planted a range of French vine varieties. As
phylloxera ravaged Europe, Chile was left as the only country with healthy
vines. Political and economic turmoil combined with falling consumption put the
brakes on the country's development in the 1970s and 1980s, but once democracy
was restored, investment (both internal and external), equipment and expertise
flooded in. With the introduction of temperature-controlled stainless-steel
vats, cool storage, and oak barrels, Chile underwent a winemaking
revolution.
Chile's most important red grape is Cabernet Sauvignon,
yielding increasingly elegant and concentrated wines and some very good Bordeaux blends. Some have
seen the discovery of old Bordeaux grape, Carmenère (aka Grand Vidure) as
Chile's unique selling point, as Malbec is for Argentina. This
remains a moot point but long mistaken for Merlot, with which it is still
usually blended, Carmenère produces complex,
earthy reds with rich, blackcurrant flavours and firm, ripe,
tannins.
Chardonnay is the
most popular white, especially from cooler regions like the Casablanca and
San Antonio valleys. Thanks to a replanting programme which saw genuine
Sauvignon Blanc
replace its lower quality imitators, some excellent examples are now produced,
offering a halfway house between the grassy herbaceousness of Sancerre and the piercing,
tropical fruit intensity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Juicy but elegant Pinot
Noirs and rich, stylish Syrahs are beginning to make
a reputation for themselves while Riesling, Viognier and even Gewurztraminer all show
promise.
Hemmed in by the Andes to the east, the Pacific to the west, the
Atacama desert to the north and Antarctica to the south, Chile's climate
is Mediterranean. The only down side is the lack of rain, with irrigation
required virtually everywhere. Most of the country's vines are in the
southern half of the country, centred on the 1000km long plateau of the
Central Valley south of the capital, Santiago. This area is home
to Chile's most famous region, the hot, dry Maipo Valley with its Napa Valley-like
Cabernets and ripe Chardonnays with good
acidity.
Further south is the larger Rapel Valley, with
its Colchagua, Cachapoal
and Apalta sub-regions. This hot region produces succulent,
full-flavoured reds, the country's best Merlot and some very fine Cabernets.
The Central Valley is also home to the slightly less hot Curicó Valley, and the
cooler still and wetter Maule Valley, Chile's
oldest wine region.
Here, and the areas below it at the foot of the Central Valley,
Itata, Bío-Bío and Malleco, are Chile's most undeveloped
but also some of its most promising. The hilly, cooler coastal regions of Aconcagua,
San Antonio and Casablanca,
west and north-west of Santiago, have already shown the way, especially for
white wines, with the latter probably producing Chile's best.
Recommended Producers: Carmen, Casa Lapostolle, Concha y Toro, Cucao, Doña Javiera (Monte Verde),
Errazuriz, William Fevre (Don
Victor), Neyen.
