Ricardo Rivadeneira and Rodrigo Romero
Established in 2003, Viñedos Calcu, located in Chile’s Colchagua Valley, is relatively young, but its origins are historic. It’s the sister winery to nearby Viña Maquis (see our recent review article), which dates to the 18th century when it was farmed by Jesuit priests. Located just 26 km from the ocean, Calcu’s vineyards of stony, granitic-clay soils are influenced by the cold Pacific. Its wines are fresh, balanced and surprisingly inexpensive. The high-end Cabernet Sauvignon blends Fotem and FUTA, while not inexpensive, offer superb value when compared to their California counterparts. Our reviews are given below.
Marchigüe Vineyards
Calcu’s one thousand hectare (ha) Marchigüe estate is planted to 100 ha of vineyards, looked after by viticulturist Jaime Gatica who works with international consultant Xavier Choné. Rodrigo Romero is head winemaker with degrees from the Universidad Católica de Valparaiso and the Universidad de Chile and winemaking experience in France, Italy, and the Napa Valley.
Ricardo Rivadeneira Hurtado is CEO and the 4th generation of the Hurtado family to lead its winemaking activities. Educated in London and Santiago de Chile, he has winemaking experience in Bordeaux and the Napa Valley. He assumed management of Viña Maquis in 2000 and established Calcu three years later. He was recently honored as Master Winemaker Top 100 by the English publication The Drinks Business. Global Vineyard Importers of Berkeley CA imports the Calcu wines along with other premium wine producers of Chile and Argentina.
The Wines
Calcu 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Colchagua Valley ($15) 91 Light yellow-green straw. A significant portion of Semillon contributes complexity and weight to this Sauvignon Blanc based wine. Opens with a fresh bouquet of grapefruit, passion fruit and thyme. Broad on the palate with pleasant fruit flavors that mirror the bouquet. Nicely balanced with good mid-palate weight and a lingering finish. A handpicked, double sorted, blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon from estate vineyards, fermented in stainless steel, no malo. 12.5% alc.
Calcu 2022 Carménère Gran Reserva Colchagua Valley ($16) 91 A delicious, flavorful Carménère, irrespective of price, and the price is low for a wine of this quality. Opens with a dark red fruited nose with herbal and spice notes. Suave in the mouth with nice grip and good concentration of herbal-edged, sweet, dark fruit. A hand-picked, double sorted blend of 95% Carménère and 5% Cabernet Franc from the Marchigüe estate vineyard. 13.5% alc.
Calcu 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva Colchagua Valley ($16) 91 Opens with scents of dark cassis, plum and a touch of toasty oak. The medium weight, dark fruited palate is broad and full with a hint of underbrush. A hand picked and hand sorted blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot aged 12 months in French oak. From the cool, fresh and low yielding 2022 vintage. 13.5% alc.
Calcu 2020 Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva Marchigüe Estate Colchagua Valley ($16) 91 Spicy dark fruited nose of plums, blackberries, and a hint of autumn leaves. Delicious up-front fruit on a medium weight palate with a suave mouth feel. A great bistro wine! A blend of 95% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Carmenere. 14% alc.
Calcu 2019 Fotem Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley ($32) 93 Dark red. Bouquet of dark red cherry and toasty oak mirrored on the palate with additional cassis and tobacco notes. The silky mouth feel from 18 months aging in French oak gives the Fotem a special sense of elegance. Hand harvested 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 3% Carménère from the Ramadilla Estate. 14% alc.
Calcu 2016 FUTA Colchagua Valley ($70) 95 Semi-opaque ruby. Seamlessly integrated nose of cassis, dark cherry and French oak. Eight years after the vintage, the Futa Cabernet Sauvignon blend is drinking beautifully with a densely flavored, firm yet broad palate and impeccable balance. Very persistent, clean finish of rich fruit and savory extract. A vineyard selection of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and14% Cabernet Franc . pH 3.34, 14% alc.
Source : https://i-winereview.com/blog/index.php/2024/07/20/calcu-current-releases-from-the-colchagua-valley/