LIVE 24-SEVEN CHI LEAN WINES A SPECTACUL AR RISE TO FAME
Hello there, welcome to 2018. I am pleased that you all seem to have made it through what has proved to be a quite extraordinary year one way or the other – and that is all I am going to say about the year that has gone before – New Year, new start I say!
Keeping to the theme of how much can change in a single year, I thought it would be interesting to look back at Chile’s spectacular rise to fame in a relatively (in the wine trade) short time span, with wineries buying land in increasingly marginal spots and new regions being given recognition.
This year, Chile suffered some of the worst wildfires in its history and while pine forests were mostly affected, more than 100 vineyards were damaged or destroyed, mainly in the Maule and O’Higgins regions.
Around the year 2000, the key regions were Aconcagua, Maipo, Casablanca and Curico. Growers were excited about cool climate regions such as Leyda and Limari, but few were shipping these wines to the UK as they were considered a little young, as well as UK merchants being reluctant to take wines on that, as yet, had no proof of being able to keep up in the quality stakes.
Jump in the Tardis with me if you will and fast forward a few years and it would be difficult to overestimate how far Chile has come. A country that perhaps ten years ago was all about Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay can now showcase Syrahs, elegant Rieslings, exotic Sauvignon Blancs, soft juicy Pinot Noirs and, one of my favourite grapes when looked after, Carmenere. This is happening due to cool climate sites in more demanding areas.
It has always been easy to make good, soft, juicy wines in Chile’s Central Valley (the flat bit between the Andes and the Coastal Range of mountains). It was these wines that took the wine trade and consumer by storm a few short years ago and justifiably established Chile’s reputation as a producer of easy-drinking, value for money wines.
Sauvignon Blanc has probably been the biggest beneficiary of Chile’s rush to find cooler areas and I think it is fair to say that they are better than most other countries, at entry level point. Finesse only comes with lower temperatures.
/ 84
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156
