Tori Haysom: From NZ to South America - Part Two: Wines of Chile
- Tori Haysom
From Mendoza, I took the most scenic flight of my entire life over the Andes to Santiago, Chile. It was incredible to see the Volcano of Tupungato and again appreciate the vastness of the mighty Andes. The theme of my visit to Chile was to discover the plethora of different wine growing environments both from East to West and North to South.This long, thin country has its main wine growing areas from 30 degrees latitude in the North towards the Atacama Desert all the way to 40 degrees in the South towards the Patagonian Glaciers.
A coastal range also starts adjoined to the Andes in the North and then divides out to be in parallel to the Andes creating many valleys between them, tapering off closer to the most Southern wine Regions. The effect of these two mountain ranges has resulted in new legal terms to differentiate the wine styles produced even within one appellation.
Andes: Higher altitude wines at the base of the 'Andes'
Entre Cordilleras: 'Between mountain ranges' - flatter and warmer areas in the valleys
Costa: 'Coastal’ areas - cooler sites influenced by the Pacific Ocean"
View from flight over the Andes, Mendoza - Santiago
View of Tupungato Volcano on flight over the Andes, Mendoza - Santiago
View from flight over the Andes, Mendoza - Santiago
My first winery stop here was to De Martino, one of the most influential family-owned wineries in Chile’s Maipo Valley, a wine region that has become engulfed by the city of Santiago. I visited the main cellar and was told the story of Carmenere, a grape that until the end of 1994 was thought to be Merlot, or even ‘Chilean’ Merlot. Guy Hooper, the export manager pulled out a piece of history from the racks in the form of a bottle labelled as Merlot, a vintage exported as such before this revelation. This French grape made its way pre-phylloxera to Chile as ‘Merlot’. Since this grape is mostly found in Bordeaux as a minor blending component, Carmenere wines from Chile have become its point of difference in the wine world.
Carmenere labelled at ‘Merlot’ 1994, before genetic analysis
Amphorae/ Tinajas (Spanish) at De Martino with Marco De Martino (Third generation)
Cabernet Sauvignon Vines from ‘La Concha’ Single Vineyard in Isla de Maipo, De Martino Winery
To my excitement I was then shown the antique Amphorae (Tinajas in Spanish) that De Martino sourced across the country for a project they started following the 2013 purchase of a precious vineyard in Southern Chile, Guarilihue, Itata Valley. Itata is said to be the oldest site of wine growing in the Americas, with vines planted in 1551. To respect these ungrafted bush vines, De Martino honours the history by going back in time and using horses to work the land along with making wines in these beautiful and giant Tinajas, which were kept above ground in Chile due to the Earthquake risks in a country over tectonic plate collisions. I got to wander in this ethereal ancient vineyard sampling Chassalas, Muscat, and Cinsault grapes from these old vines. Granite soils with whole pieces of white quartz throughout add to the spiritual feel to this magical place.
De Martino Winery Executive Guy Hooper talking about the old bush vines in Guarilihue, Itata Valley
Ancient Cinsault bush Vines, Guarilihue, Itata Valley – De Martino
Wine tasting of wines from De Martino
I was invited to Almaviva, a world class winery which was a project started by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle of Viña Concha y Toro. Here I experienced the different climate of Puente Alto in Maipo Valley, which is categorised as ‘Andes’. The high altitude increases UV strength to ripen grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere coupled with cool nights, creating a diurnal range preserving acidity aiding the creation of elegant and age worthy wines. The gaps in the coastal range create morning fogs from the land heating up drawing in cool air all the way from the pacific moderating the temperatures of the morning – but burning off in time for the sun to ripen these thick-skinned grapes.
With connections to France and Bordeaux, these Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blends with the Chilean twist of a decent proportion of Carmenere have begun to show the world what Chile is capable of. Tasting the 2011 and 2020 Almaviva side by side with the view of the Andes was another memory for the wine books, another dream tasting collected as I continue to travel the world of wine.
Barrel hall at Almaviva Winery, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley
Almaviva Commercial Director Felipe Feliú tasting 2011 and 2020 Almaviva with me and Epu by Almaviva 2021
I also met up with ex colleague and friend Javiera Ahumada and visited her hometown squeezed through the narrow valleys ‘Entre Cordilleras’ down to San Fernando, Colchagua. Here I viewed the orchards and fruit processing operations of her family business Grupo Los Olmos. Seeing table grapes grown on pergolas felt like a little wonderland running underneath all the hanging grapes. This vine training has been found to be useful for high yielding growing so is less and less used for wine grape growing, but it was exciting to see what the wine vines may have looked like before changing to VSP.
Whilst here we visited the state-of-the-art gravity flow winery of Maquis in the Colchagua Valley and tasted the most elegant Carmenere I have ever experienced, Viola, black fruits and silky tannins but with stunning lifted florals that create a weightlessness on the palate. I am sure this grape has much more to show the world of wine.
Hanging under the table grapes with Javiera in San Fernando, Chile
Table Grape Pergola vines in San Fernando Chile
Wine tasting including ‘La Viola’ Carmenere at Maquis Vineyard in Colchagua Valley, Chile
I have enjoyed this experience so much and now feel I need to go back to learn more! For now, I am happy to be a heartfelt ambassador for these vibrant countries and their wines. I am so grateful for this opportunity.
Marcia Waters Vintner’s Bursary Award
Instagram @the.inventori. Salud!