Overlooking vineyard at Concha y Toro winery in Cachapoal.
Chile, often referred to as ‘the long, thin country,’ boasts a rich tapestry of microclimates and grape varieties, underpinned by a deep-rooted winemaking heritage. Its striking flora and fauna can call to mind a Jurassic Park-style ‘land that time forgot’ – and that metaphor can be extended to the country’s vineyards.
Grape varieties that fell out of favour decades ago in Europe are still grown and given serious attention here. In terms of red grapes, Carmenère is the most prominent example, but the same applies to Cinsault and Carignan. Equally, ‘international’ varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir, many planted in the 1990s, are the basis of excellent wines too.
This year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) show an enormous range of choice, particularly for red-wine lovers. Chile laid claim to an impressive 23 Gold medals (15 of which were for red wines), its best-ever set of results.
And, for the second year running, a Best in Show accolade went to a varietal Carmenère. This year it was Santa Carolina, Herencia Carmenère, Los Lingues, Colchagua 2020 (97 points), which judges described as ‘vivid, fresh and vibrant, the fruit tones achieving unusual subtlety and complexity’.
Santa Carolina’s premium wines winemaker Alejandro Wedeles Pacheco said of the winning wine, ‘We aim to express the true essence and potential of the Carmenère grape variety, which is emblematic of Chilean viticulture. Our goal is to capture the richness, complexity, and elegance that this variety can offer.’ The first vintage of this ‘icon’ wine was 2007, the year Wedeles Pacheco joined Santa Carolina.
Scroll down to explore Chile’s top-awarded red wines from DWWA 2024
Carmenère: Chile’s flagship variety
Carmenère was brought to Chile from Bordeaux during the 19th century. Post-phylloxera, this late-ripening grape was grubbed up and rarely replanted in France. In Chile, meanwhile, it is the third most-planted red variety (after Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), with nearly 11,000 hectares (ha), many of them ‘heritage’ plantings.
The variety is capable of great things in its adopted homeland. ‘Carmenère, once nearly extinct, has found a perfect home in Chile,’ said Wedeles Pacheco, ‘particularly in the Peumo area within the Cachapoal Valley DO. Peumo is renowned for its exceptional terroir, characterised by its clay-loam soils and a microclimate ideal for this late-ripening variety.’
It’s not a variety without challenges, though, being sensitive to poor weather during harvest. But ‘when conditions are right, the results are spectacular, yielding wines with rich, dark fruit profiles, peppery notes and silky tannins.’
Interestingly, Santa Carolina has embarked on a project that harks back to Chile’s pre-phylloxera past. ‘Since 2012, Santa Carolina has been developing Bloque Herencia, an ambitious R&D initiative aimed at recovering pre-phylloxera, virus-free DNA material from rootstocks brought to Chile during colonial times and the 19th century,’ explained Wedeles Pacheco. The aim, he said, is ‘to enhance the diversity of our project components to create more dynamic and less monotonous wines’.
In addition to the Best in Show accolade (awarded to just 0.28% of wines entered this year), two Carmenère varietal wines won Golds. Judges described Viña Del Nuevo Mundo, Las Niñas Ella Reserva Organic Carmenère, Apalta, Colchagua 2022 (Value Gold, 95 points) as having ‘abundant ripe damson, blueberry and black plum with smoky tobacco and dried herb notes’. Concha y Toro, Terrunyo Carmenere, Peumo, Cachapoal 2021 (95 points) impressed with its ‘smooth, velvety texture and austere, refined tannins’.
Chile’s other red-wine ‘big hitters’
Syrah may be a relative newcomer to Chile (it’s only been a variety of note here since the 1990s) but it is generating much excitement of late. Depending on…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/decanter-world-wine-awards/chile-the-long-thin-country-of-iconic-red-wines-536833/
