Chilean red dry wine. High quality red and white wines from Chile

Previously, a 9-dollar cabernet from Chile did not hesitate to take with them to a housewarming party, and a normal Chilean red dry wine was served at weddings. But there is good news: today the country has become more quality oriented, and more and more wines from this region are becoming unique, interesting and tasty. Many producers - especially Veramonte and Emiliana - have made serious commitments to develop organic and biodynamic agriculture, intensively exploring old vineyards and a unique local terroir.

And this new wine of Chile gives a great return on every ruble spent. If someone wants to save money and get a good drink at an affordable price, then Chile is still the place to look. But local wines have become better than ever before.

Chilean wines: names on the label

As in other new wine regions of the world, such as New Zealand and South Africa, Chile indicates the sort of grape used in the center of the label.

Local legislation requires that the declared grape variety, year of collection and geographical area (Denominación de Origen) correspond to at least 75% of the contents of the bottle. This is true, up to a quarter of the composition may not be indicated. But in practice, Chile's wine contains at least 85% of the declared on the label, so the distribution of bottles in Europe remains legal.

One remark: some information, placed on Chilean bottles, is useless. For example, the inscription Reserva or Reserva Especial indicates that the wine contains at least 12% alcohol. Reserva Privada and Gran Reserva correspond to 12.5% of alcohol. In addition, Reserva Especial and Gran Reserva can be used to indicate that the wine was at least slightly stored in oak barrels. But none of these terms will tell you about its quality: you can buy a wonderful Sauvignon blanca from vineyards with a cool climate that does not meet these requirements, and a terrible Chilean red dry wine from hot regions, corresponding to the necessary conditions.

Soils

A glance at the map of Chile is enough to make sure that the geography of the country is truly unique. If it takes a week to drive the country from north to south, then the widest part of it from east to west can be inspected in a few hours. The Andes separate the country from Argentina, whose famous wine region of Mendoza is located just a few hundred kilometers east of the Chilean capital of Santiago.

Although the country is rather narrow from east to west, some wine labels specify where exactly the vineyard is located: Costa - not far from the coast, Andes - near the mountains, and Entre Cordilleras - between them.

Now let's look at the main grape varieties that can be found in Chilean wine.

Sauvignon Blanc

Bright, herbal and tart: most of the best Chilean Sauvignon blanc is grown in the coastal valleys of Casablanca and Leyda. These regions are blown by cool ocean breezes, which keep the grapes fresh on the palate until it ripens in the warm sun.

If you like a live Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, you should try the "Anaken ENCO" harvest of 2012. This Chilean wine, the price for a bottle of which is 11 dollars, comes from the valley of Leyda. The glass exudes the aromas of parsley, jalapeno and grapefruit. Bright acidity makes it an excellent pair to dishes that require lemon juice - it is better to try it with seafood.

Chardonnay

Just like the coastal areas of California, Sonoma and Santa Barbara, the cool climate of Chile allows Chardonnay to shine, preserving acidity and avoiding overripe. Wines should be sought from valleys subject to the influence of the ocean, Casablanca and Limari, or from the southern, windswept valley of Maleco.

One bottle is especially good. "Salt de Saul Chardonnay" 2009 harvest from "Vinya Aquitaine" worth 28 dollars is fermented in oak barrels, which gives a rich texture and notes of roasted hazelnuts, perfectly balanced by the high acidity. Each sip gives a taste of a crisp red apple, bright lemon and sour cream.

Other good wines

The northernmost area of Coquimbo is better known for its pisco than for good wine. But some of the local producers make an excellent drink from grapes, once considered suitable only for distillation. It is worth trying "Pedro Jimenez" in 2014 with the winery "Mayu" ($ 13) from the valley Elki. It is ideal for a summer picnic, full of piercing lime and white grapefruit aromas - nothing like sweet, viscous Spanish wines made from this grapes.

Are you ready to go further? One of the best white wines is the Sauvignon Gris, made at Casa Silva, the 2012 harvest ($ 16 per bottle) from Kolchagua. This grapes grew on a vine planted in 1912 - a reminder that Chile is not new when it comes to wine. The name of the grapes may be unfamiliar, but the wine is delicious, with a rich texture and peach-honey flavor that put it on a par with a pino-gris from Oregon, and not with a medium-level Sauvignon blanc. It has a creamy texture and freshness. It is served to meat on a picnic or to a large plate of fried sea scallops.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is rampant in the sunlit Central Valley, a large area around Santiago, which consists of four other valleys: Maipo, Rapel, Curico and Maule.

Those who regularly drink Cabernet from Napa and want to try something a little more affordable, it is better to start learning Chilean red dry wine with Maypole. Here you can find a lot of wineries, including such famous brands as Santa Rita, Koncha-i-Toro and Cusinho Makul. In the Central Valley, it makes its wine Winemaker and the winery "Casa Porta". Under the warm rays of the local sun, grapes ripen, from which intense, concentrated wines are produced, filled with the tastes of ripe blackberries, chocolate and tobacco flavors. For $ 15 you can buy "Primus Cabernet Sauvignon" 2011, made by "Veramonte", for filing to a fried chicken or just for a party. If someone is looking for the best Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon wine, which means that there are sufficient funds, you should ask for bottles from the famous Puente Alto area, famous for its gravel soils, which some compare to the vineyards of Bordeaux. Famous brands from this region include Don Melchor from Concha Toro winery for $ 75 and Chadwick Cabernet Sauvignon, made in Errasuris Viniedo, for $ 160.

Carmenier

Chileans have been growing the Carmenera grapes for more than a century, but for a long time mistakenly mistook it for the local variety of Merlot. Wine and grape variety were correctly identified only in 1994. Also it can be found in the southwest of France and Italy. But in Chile, the Carmener flag is above all.

The wine is distinguished by a variety of "green" flavors that resemble tomato leaves and green pepper. Some will call them outsiders, but when these nuances are balanced with acidity and freshness, the aromas of herbs, "vegetable" wine can be quite well combined with food, especially as you might guess, with herbs and vegetables.

Fans, for example, Cabernet-Fraun from the French Chinon, should pay attention to these wines first of all. And if to taste Indian pail-ale, then these herbal, green flavors may not be new. One New York sommelier called them similar to hop wines.

For those who are only beginning to learn Chilean semi-sweet wines, one should turn to the original source. The first wine to be bottled in 1996 was the winery "De Martino". Its Chilean merlot, the wine "Legado Reserve Carmener" of the 2012 harvest from the Maipo Valley, which costs 12 dollars a bottle, has characteristic tobacco and pepper-sweet aromas, but they are well balanced with the taste of cherry and light haze.

Syrah

Lovers of the Syrah grapes will discover in Chile a number of excellent wines that emphasize the ripe, enveloping fruit taste, allowing to manifest the classical flavors of pepper and bacon. The highlands and coastal breezes help to soften the heat of the northern valleys of Elka and Limari, where this grape variety grows wildly. Connoisseurs like the combination of the flavors of ripe plum and salted black olives in Merino's 2012 harvest ($ 16 a bottle) from the Limari Valley, which is blended with a small share of vion, just like it does in the Rhone.

Carignan

Winemakers of the Maule valley have a real treasure - the old vineyards of the Carignan variety, which are only now beginning to be noticed. Vines of the Carignan grape were planted after the devastating earthquake of 1939, which deprived local plant growers of most of their plantations. The variety is well established in the dry hot climate of the Maule Valley, which is not too different from the conditions of Southern France or Spain, where the grapes bear the name "masuelo" and "carignan". These old vines allow the production of tannic, highly acidic Chilean red dry wine, in which the aroma of fresh raspberries and sweet cherries is mixed with earthy and cedar notes.

You can also stumble upon the bottles with the inscription Vigno on the label. This means Vignadores de Carignan, a group of producers in the Maule Valley offering wine from vineyards that are at least 30 years old and which are grown dry, that is, without irrigation. For example, you can distinguish "Vigno Carignan" in 2010 from the Maule Valley, produced in the winery Garcia + Schwaderer, at a cost of $ 40 per bottle. Black and pepper flavors are combined with considerable tannin and high acidity, so they are fantastic companions of fatty steak. Other manufacturers that are worth looking for are "Gillmore" and "Garage Vine Co.."

Pinot Noir

Going to the direction of Antarctica, you can get to the valleys of Itat, Bio-Bio and Maleco. Due to the lower temperatures in these regions, the Pinot Noir variety ripens more slowly during the growing season, which helps the grapes to preserve the nuances of aromas and refreshing acidity.

Ready for adventure? This is the Chilean wine reviews of the tasters called not similar to any of their known "sunny drinks." Pedro Parra, a wine terroir consultant and partner of the Latuffa winery, located in Traiguen in the Maleco Valley, is in fact trying to discover and assess the soil of Chile. The pinot noir "Clos de Fus" of the 2012 harvest, worth $ 30, contains classic flavors, cherries and rose petals, but they are wrapped in an intriguing combination of gentian, sage and pine flavors that will make you remember your favorite Amaro.

Other interesting red wines: Malbec

It is worth stopping not a few other Chilean red wines, which are undervalued, but worthy of study.

Malbec in Chile is very different from its closest Argentine neighbor. You should expect a much lighter and juicy style, which resembles a fermented unsweetened pomegranate-blueberry juice. The wine is filled with fragrant notes of violet and peony, and it is ideal for the spring-summer season. You have to be ready to spend about $ 20 per bottle.

Cabernet-france

Used, as a rule, for blending with other varieties, the Cabernet-fran grape variety is sometimes used for making wine in its pure form. The drink is delicious, no frills, but bright, with aromas of juicy red fruits, black and red pepper and herbs. Less than $ 15 you can find an excellent Chilean cabernet-france, the perfect wine outside the house.

Pais

One of the most cultivated and least known Chilean grape varieties. He had a sad past of raw materials for the production of wine materials and caustic, simple, earthy and tannic wines. Today, however, in the valleys of Maule, Bio-Bio and Itat, you can find very intriguing old plantings of this grapes. If you control tannin, then the wines of the pais have a sharp and almost sweet taste with the aromas of cherries, plums and roses.