Chile's Signature Grape!
Spring breezes are blowing. The daffodils & crocus are blooming. The trees are exploding with buds and fresh green leaves. Allergies are at an all time high. Sure feels like spring.
What better way to fight allergies than with a little Chilean fortification?
This month, we are tasting Cabernet Sauvignon exclusively from Chile.
Background
Cabernet Sauvignon is NOT a pure grape.
Technically, it violates French laws which prohibit hybrids.
WHAT??!!!!
Back in the 1700s, 2 grapes met, fell in love, and produced little grapes.
Okay, maybe not like that, but it did happen in the 1700s. AND it happened in France.
Cabernet Franc (a red varietal) and Sauvignon Blanc (a white varietal) were crossed and the result is what is known as Cabernet Sauvignon (name makes sense now, doesn't it?).
Cab Sauv (Cab Sav), as it is commonly called, is typically a blending wine for France.
This completely helps me in understanding why I have never enjoyed Cab Sauv. I always thought it was "too big" for me. After learning that it is a hybrid with one grape I love and the ONLY grape I have tasted that I can't stand in any form, I guess too much of the Sauv Blanc is coming through in the hybrid for me. Maybe Chile will change that...
(It did not, just sayin')
(It did not, just sayin')
So how did we end up in Chile?
Chile and Wine
Wine in Chile goes back to the 1500s. The Spanish brought white varietals to Mexico with them. These vines made their way down south and ended up in Chile. Chile's wine was BORING! BLEH. It remained that way until the mid 19th century. Why? Because of money, why else. Rich land owners and cattle ranchers in Chile wanted to showcase their money. They decided to imitate the Bordeaux style chateaus. Part of having a chateau is having a vineyard. These rich Chileans planted the grapes of Bordeaux, namely Cabernet Sauvignon.
The timing was most fortuitous. Rot was destroying the vineyards in France. Chile offered an option to get some vines out. French vineyard owners took the chance to save their vines.
Oh, what a smart move that was!
Why Chile for Wine?
Chile, it turns out, is Eden for grapes! It has warm, bright, sunny days similar to the Mediterranean. The Andes Mountains and the snow melt creates plenty of flowing rivers which perfectly aids in irrigation. Because of the proximity to the Pacific, the breezes keep most pests away and typical diseases of vines, for some reason, just can't gain any footing in Chile. That means that there is almost zero need for chemicals & sprays to manage the vines.
But Chile wasn't even on the global wine radar, what happened?
What, indeed!
Chilean wine was BORING until the late 1980s.
There was political instability, government red tape, and super high taxes that created an environment that just didn't support good wine production or sales.
All that changed in the late 80s.
Change the tax structure and politics in a good way and watch the money roll in.
Oh, and did it roll in!
Spain, France, United States
Some of the top producers in these countries poured massive money into the vineyards. Add the money that the Chilean wineries themselves put in to modernizing & buying new, state of the art equipment and new French & American oak barrels, and you get the makings of an amazing change in the wine of Chile.
In less that 10 years, Chile went from a 3rd World wine producer to the so called "Bordeaux of South America."
So, who, exactly fronted this great change?
Torres from Spain
Rothschilds (as in Lafite-Rothschils Bordeaux) - France
Franciscan Estates - USA (actually helped establish the Casablanca region in Chile which is the top white wine producing region)
Maipo is the primary Cab Sauv region. It is located right along Santiago. This is one of the oldest wine regions in the country. Because it is so close to the capital, many wineries have their headquarters here. It also happens to be directly across the Andes from Argentina's Mendoza region.
Wine Laws
What laws?
Joking aside, Chile took a page from the US rather than France when it comes to wine laws (thankfully).
These laws have only been in effect since 1995.
If a bottle is labeled with a viticultural region, at least 75% of the grapes in the bottle must come from that region.
If a bottle is labeled with a varietal, at least 75% of the grapes in the bottle must be from that varietal.
If a bottle is labeled with a vintage, at least 75% of the grapes in the bottle must be from that vintage.
Wineries of Note
Some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon come from the following wineries:
Cousiño-Macul
Concho y Toro
Santa Rita
Canepa
Undurraga
Santa Carolina
Viña Errazuriz
What Did We Drink?
We drank the wines in price order rather than year. Every bottle was different, different nose, different body, different taste. It was very educational. Some bottles were okay, some were really good, and some were "meh, probably not." All wines were Cabernet Sauvignon.
We had yummy brisket, ziti, cheddar, aged parm, chocolate chip cookies and Lindt Lindor truffles!
First up, Santa Rita Reserva. Thanks to the laws in Chile, the Reserva has no standardized meaning. This particular bottle was a 2009 and cost $10.99 at Wegmans. This was a split. Some liked it and some did not. I got a nose full of acetone from it, but that could have been paint fumes coming from the freshly painted porch! For $10.99, it won't hurt you to try it for yourself!
Next up, Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reservas 2011 (see what I mean about the labeling freedom?). This one flipped from the first one. Those that liked the first one, didn't care for this one. Those that disliked the first one, enjoyed this one. The body was all over the place on these wines with some being big and some being medium. Personally, this one was the second least objectionable for me. So, if your tastes run like mine, that might mean something to you. This bottle cost $11.59 at Wegmans.
Third bottle of the night and the first one emptied was Montes Alpha 2010. This has a 91 rating from Robert Parker. This was the "best" wine of the night, in my opinion and, apparently, in the opinion of most of us. This bottle was $15.59 and I suspect that it will be stocked in friends' homes soon with the great reception and good price point! Picked this one up at Wegmans also.
Final bottle of the night was Haras Elegance 2003. Cost was $32.99 at Wegmans and the comment was, "I would pick up 2 of the other one instead." HOWEVER, once aerated, the opinion of this particular bottle went way up! This was the second bottle emptied. There was sediment in this bottle! I really should have anticipated it since it was so old, but I didn't. Fortunately, the aerator has a screen so the bottle was consumed without chewing required. A big THANK YOU to Steph for informing us about the aerator a few years ago. Super handy to have around!
In May, we will be tasting Oregon Wines!
Until then,
Cheers,
Kitti
