We were fortunate enough to be invited on a fabulous tour of Chile and Argentina, visiting 15 wineries as honored guests - sampling the wines, walking their vineyards, barrel sampling, and dining on local fare paired with the wines at each property. We have tried to chronicle our journey for you. All of our good intentions of updating you as we traveled were foiled by Internet connection problems but here are our journals. Hope you enjoy reading about our exploration half as much as we enjoyed the adventure.
Barbara's Ramblings are in Black, Lisa's in Blue
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.
Cheers!
Barbara Drady, Affairs
of the Vine President
Lisa Strout, Affairs
of the Vine Food Editor
I had trouble sleeping last night. I was truly excited about our trip to Chile and Argentina. I was afraid I'd sleep through the alarm that was set to go off at 3 AM. We left Sonoma County at 4 AM to catch our flight to Santiago, Chile by way of Miami, Florida.
From take off at San Francisco International Airport to touch down in Santiago Merino International Airport, we would be traveling a total of 17 hours - arriving in Santiago at 5:10 AM local time. (Barb)
After paying the special tax of $100 USD for American citizens entering Chile for the first time, we passed quickly through immigration and customs. Our hosts, Billington Imports escorted us to the Sheraton Hotel.
Lisa took a bus tour of Santiago with some of our traveling companions. I chose to do my own walking tour of the city after a nap. Lots of cars, modern buildings, and beautiful mountains surrounding the city that are difficult to see through the pollution. The shopping area and the demeanor of the people that I saw on my walk remind me of many of the lovely city centers that I have visited in the south of France...definitely a European air. (Barb)
Our gracious host, Alfredo, treated us to an elegant evening at one of Santiago's top restaurants, Europeo. Chef Carlos Meyer Anwandter dazzled us with his classic cuisine.
The first plate was a lovely combination of both hot and cold smoked salmons, a cured salmon encrusted in pepper, the most flavorful salmon tartar I've had in a long time. All this paired with a 2001 Cousino-Macul Reserve Chardonnay that made the 1st course seamless.
Next, we had a choice of conger eel brochette over Thai rice or slow-cooked lamb with Dauphinoise Potatoes. The eel was threaded on the skewer alternating with shrimp and served over a bed of rice delicately flavored with green onions and ginger, bringing just the right amount of tang to accompany the lemony butter sauce.
The lamb dish was served with the classic Potatoes Dauphinoise and French green beans wrapped in bacon. The 2001 Cousiño-Macul Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was in perfect harmony.
My favorite dish of the night was the creative dessert. Paper thin pralines were stacked with alternating layers of crème fraiche ice cream under which was a layer of pomegranate seeds, blueberries, strawberries and tiny blackberries au jus. It was a delightful way to end the meal.
Slept well. (Lisa)
We were joined at dinner by two charming gentlemen, Arturo Cousiño, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cousiño-Macul and Colin Rogers, General Manager. I was seated next to Colin at dinner and had an opportunity to get to know him. He is fluent in English with no discernible Chilean accent, in fact I thought I detected a British one. Colin was born in Chile. His British mother insisted that Colin be schooled in Chilean schools that provided a British-style education.
He is relatively new to the wine business, but brings with him over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, product development and communications. He previously worked for a large tobacco company, the largest pasta and confectionery producer in Chile, and the largest bank in Chile.
He lives with his wife and three children in Santiago.
I got to hear some great stories about growing up in Chile and got a great deal of insight into the political and economic flavor of the country.
The food, wine, and assembled group made this a very special evening. (Barb)
We were up very early this morning, very excited about seeing and tasting some the best that Chile has to offer. We boarded the bus this morning for our trip the Buin.
We will be spending a lot of time on the bus traveling from winery to winery. Fortunately, we are traveling with some fascinating people - wine writers from across the US: Diane writes for the Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, & the San Francisco Chronicle; Jill is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star; Becky pens for Intermezzo Magazine; Tim is the wine critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune; Norm is a columnist for Decanter; Larry is the Associate Editor of Wine & Vines; Tina, Managing Editor, Wines & Vines; and Greg, Associate Editor of the Wine Report. We are also joined by Peter, a Chicago fine wine retailer; Charles-Henry and Susan who are in the process of opening a wine bar in San Francisco; and Ann who we discovered has a fabulous wine palate and is the premier cater in Marin county. These long trips will become more enjoyable as we get the opportunity to get to know some of our travel companions.
We will be visiting wineries in many of the growing regions of Chile. The Maipo Valley is Chile's oldest wine growing region. Grapevines were known to exist in the mid 1500s in and around the Santiago area.
The Maipo Valley extends south and west from the city of Santiago and has a Mediterranean-style climate with warm, dry summers and moderate. Annual rain fall is approximately 20 to 22 inches and usually occurs between April and November. Thank goodness, there is no threat of rain for as far as the eye can see today. A bright and beautiful day!
Our first stop is Buin about 20 miles southeast of Santiago where
the Buin Estate is located. This 350 hectare vineyard property,
owned by Cousiño-Macul,
is located in the Alta Maipo region below the Andes Mountains. They
planted 217 hectares (1 hectare equals approximately 2.5 acres) of
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and
Riesling in 1996. The Cousiño family is convinced that this
area will produce the best red wines in Chile.
The Alto-Maipo is the area closest to the Andes in the Maipo
Valley. Daily temperatures during the Alto-Maipo's growing
season are generally 85-95°F during the day with evening
temperatures in the 50-55°F range. This wide swing in daily
temperature is ideal for ripening classic wine varieties. Cool
evenings enable the grapes to retain high natural fruit acid levels
right up to harvest.
The vines are densely planted producing small quantities of grapes with intense character. The white varieties are planted at a density of 3,570 vines per hectare. For the red varietals, the spacing was increased to 5,000 per hectare. This high density system is used mostly for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. There are some of the new blocks of non-bearing vineyard that has 6,200 vines per hectare, and next year another Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard block will be planted to 10,000 vines per hectare.
At Cousiño-Macul, terroir has a very special meaning. The Cousiños select and propagate their vines by the French technique of selection masssale (massal selection) instead of clonal selection. Massal selection is a kind of survival of the fittest for vines where cuttings from only the best vines are propagated. This is accomplished through field selections. In France, many Burgundy houses are going back to this technique by taking cuttings from their old vines. The belief is that vines lose their identity through clonal selection.
Massal selection differs from clonal selection in the following ways: a clone is a vine propagated from one single vine, a mother vine, and each plant is identical in DNA and uniform in personality; massal selection involves choosing a number of outstanding vines from the vineyard and then propagating new vines from that budwood; and the selection process continues from one generation to the next. The vines then are from the same family, with the same genes, but the individual plants are not identical. It is this diversity that convinced the Cousiños to continue using massal selection.
Winemaker Matias Rivera stated, "For our Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings we choose vines that give us smaller clusters and berries, more resembling those in Bordeaux than the new world . And the clusters are also of equal size which encourages even fruit ripening. It all comes down to quality. Small berries deliver concentrated flavors as the skin to juice ratio provides desirable flavor anthocyanins."
So far so good...now we'll taste the wines.
We sampled a full range of wines produced by Cousiño-Macul. All were pretty impressive but my "don't miss recommendations" are:
Cousiño-Macul Doña Isidora 2003 Riesling. The elegant nose is floral with touches of petrol, an aroma that I associate with great Rieslings. The flavors are fruity and the wine finishes with a cleansing acidity. At $9.00 in US markets, how can you go wrong?
The Antiguas Reservas 2002 Chardonnay is a well-balanced wine with the bright fruit aromas and flavors mellowed by a mix of new and seasoned oak. The wine retains a bright acidity making it a good complement for food. $12.00 in US markets.
Finis Terrae 2001...what a magnificent wine! I must admit that I have enjoyed this wine recently at several parties so I was not at all surprised to find that this wine once again delighted me. Deep, rich, and seductive. A Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Enjoy this wine with a simple steak, rich red sauces, or just sip it with great company. As it opens, you can enjoy the changes and depth of the wine. $30-$35 in US markets and worth every penny!
Had my 1st Pisco Sour. Pisco is an eau-de-vie that originated in Peru and is now a favorite cocktail in Chile. It is crafted from Muscat grapes and distilled in copper stills. The sour is a mixture of pisco, lemon juice, sugar and ice and goes down all too easy on a warm spring afternoon in Chile. Must remember to pick up a bottle at duty free. (Lisa)
This evening we visited the incredible Cousiño-Macul Estate. The estate is located within the Santiago city limits. Our bus pulled up a driveway to beautiful wrought iron gates. We were greeted by Arturo Cousiño who guided us through the grounds.
After walking through the property, I was not surprised by the extraordinary cellars built about 20 feet underground. The steep stone stairs lead down to the wine cellar. There are actually two cellars separated by the large entrance hall. The cellars are tunnels with curved ceilings, reminding me of the New York subway. The south tunnel was the first to be built by the French architects hired by the Cousiño family. During the building process in 1868, a large earthquake rocked the region. The architect and builders were so frightened that when they built the north tunnel that put arches down the length of the cellar to reinforce the structure against future quakes. The cellars were completed in 1870.
The barrels are stored on long wooden racks that are merely planks. The racks are stacked no more than two high. The barrels sit side by side with no cross bars or wooden pieces in between. I kept looking at the barrels wondering what would happen if the one on the end started rolling. Would the others follow?
We were escorted across the cobblestone yard, through the tasting room, and downstairs again to a romantically lit area. There we were treated to a very special wine tasting conducted by Matias Rivera, the handsome, youthful, and talented winemaker at Cousiño-Macul. Small tables were set with six glasses per person.
We were about to discover how these wines truly age. No better way than a vertical tasting. I was very impressed! We tasted Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon wines from 2002, 1997, 1991, 1985, 1979, and 1973. All were wonderful but my favorite was the 1985. Still retaining a youthful color, this is a beautifully balanced wine with rich cherry accents and a hint of mint.
Winemaker, Rivera believes that 1997 was the best vintage in the 90's and that this wine will have the longevity expressed by the 1985.
When you see Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon buy it. Buy several bottles. Drink one now and lay down the others. See if you can wait it out to see how well these wines age. (Barbara)
On to dinner at the magnificent Cousiño-Macul Estate in Santiago. It astounds me that grapes have been planted continuously on this property since the mid-1500s. The cellar was built in 1870 before the appearance of cement in Chile; the mortar is a mixture of sand and egg whites! Considering the cellar is at least 50 yards long, there must have been a lot of busy, tired hens in 1870 (I'm still trying to find out what they did with all those yolks).
Dinner was held in a small room containing 2 of the original wine casks of Cousino-Macul. The evening was a masterful combination of elegance and simplicity, from the tall candelabra centerpieces with fresh daisies to the attentive waitstaff. No detail was overlooked.
An impressive 1st plate of smoked salmon topped with a bit of shredded parmesan and capers. Onto to the main dish of corvina, the best sea bass I've ever had - meaty and yet flaky, served with fresh peas and a boiled, peeled potato with 3 bay leaves inserted crosswise for garnish.
Our 3rd course was an assortment of cheeses, but the star was the Cousino-Macul Finis Terrae, a magnificent cab-merlot blend that brought out the best herby, creamy qualities of the cheeses.
Dessert (oh, there's more) was a Chilean papaya with a ricotta/marscapone filling. The papaya, to me, was more like a cross between a mango (texturewise) and a lychee (flavorwise) then the more familiar Asian papaya. Onto the fruit plate (strawberries, Chilean kiwi) featuring Chilean cherimoya which tastes like a blend of pineapple, papaya and banana.
Slept really well. (Lisa)
Back on the bus this morning to travel south to Viña Santa Rita. We arrived at another unbelievable property - are all the wineries in South America so grand?
Viña Santa Rita owns vineyards in four valleys in Chile, each with differing terroir and climate conditions. In addition to this property, there are vineyards in Casablanca Valley, Rapel Valley, and Lontué Valley.
Santa Rita was started in 1880 by Don Domingo Fernández. In 1980. a group of entrepreneurs lead by Don Ricardo Claro Valdéz purchased 50% of Santa Rita. They purchased the remainder of the holdings in 1988.
The Pinot Noir vines are Dijon clone 777, the characteristics of which I generally find quite pleasing. Wines produced from this clone tend to have floral aromas with a definite rose petal accent and broad fruit in the mouth.
Here at Santa Rita, they talk about massal selection too. I completely understand clonal selection but I'm still trying to comprehend the whole process and impact of massal selection even though it was so carefully explained to me yesterday.
The soils here are alluvial soils originating from rocks. The temperatures range from 86°F during the day to 50°F at night during the long growing season.
The vineyards are planted to Chardonnay, Sauvingon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carmenere.
Budbreak this year was mid-August.
After a short tour of the beautiful property we were treated to a wine tasting by winemaker, Andrés Ilabaca who has worked as an enologist for Viña Santa Rita since 1996.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of all of the wines we tasted. The price quality relationship is excellent. My favorites were:
The 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2003, Lontue Valley, is my kind of wine! It shows great balance; totally dry on the finish but lots of fruit on the palate. Light and crisp with lemon, appealing pear fruit, and underlying mineral notes. A real buy at $8.00 USD.
Bright and fruity with black cherry, blackberry, and the chocolate notes that are so appealing in Carmenere, Santa Rita 2001 Reserva Carmenere, Rapel Valley, is a must try if you want to find out what Chilean Carmenere should be. At this price, you can afford to take a chance. $12.00 USD.
We will be coming tomorrow night to stay at the Viña Santa Rita's Casa Real Hotel and have been promised a wine tasting of their best red wines. I look forward to the experience.
We were served a wonderful lunch in their beautiful gardens. Chilean beer was served. Very refreshing and welcome after our wine tasting. I cleansed my palate with the beer and then enjoyed some of my favorite wines with lunch.
No time to go back to the hotel. We must hightail it to Veramonte.
We are traveling to Casablanca Valley; northwest of Santiago...will we see Bogie or Bergman? On to Veramonte...
More "Adventures In Wine - South of the Border" to come ....check in next week.