A Taste of Chile

By Blog.Admin

7 Dec 2009





The Colchagua Valley, 2 hours by the Pan American highway, south of Santiago is one of Chile's wine regions. The capital of the region is Santa Cruz, a quaint village with a shaded square and a benefactor who has invested heavily in a museum, hotel, and winery.He is a local boy who did well and wants to give back. I spent an hour and a half this afternoon at Viu Manent. The winery is no recent upstart. They have cabernet sauvignon vines nearly 90 years old. They have many other vines younger, and a variety of varietals. The family owned vineyard has its roots in Spain, but is proudly Chilean. The tour consists of a horse-drawn carriage ride through the vineyards with an English-speaking guide. He explains the terroir of the region and points out the different grapes, the methods of growing them. The carriage driver is dressed in a regional costume and the horses are percherons.



Today is early summer, with the temperature in the mid-70s (25C). Warm and sunny, with the scent of roses, and eau de horse on the breeze. I've done a lot of wine tours, but never one that allowed me to taste a wine directly from the aging vat. An incomplete wine - a cab that won't be bottled for another 4 months or so and won't be on the shelves for a few months after that. I had anticipated a raw, alcohol taste. Instead there was great fruit, but no tannins to speak of. I could anticipate the future!



In the tasting room, we began with a white - 85% viognier - I've probably spelled it incorrectly - remember I am changing from Spanish to English spelling and losing something in the translation. It is a grape I am not familiar with. The wine was wonderful for a hot afternoon - what I would call a balcony wine. The next taste was an estate Malbec. All the grapes were grown on the estate and it was 100% Malbec. Didn't taste like an Argentine wine at all. Lovely soft berry on the tongue and a rich color. Enjoyed it immensely. The third and final tasting was a cab that Robert Parker had given a 90 score to! Yum, yum, yum. I couldn't have had a better day or taste of Chile!



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