AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Some New Wines from Chile DATE: 2/03/2007 04:29:00 PM ----- BODY:
Chilean Ambassador Mariano Fernández hosted a “Chilean Farm Market” at his residence recently, showcasing meats, cheeses, produce and wine from his country. Chilean fruits and vegetables are no strangers in these parts, of course, having been winter staples for years. But I hope we begin seeing some of these meats – chewy, rich beef tenderloin that bore little resemblance to the corn-fed beef we’re used to, and dense rack of lamb that tasted of the grasslands of the Andes foothills. (Here’s my new food fantasy: Icelandic lamb from September through November, then Chilean lamb from February through April. Why can’t meat be seasonal?) he wines on display featured two producers, Montes and Haras, with whom I was familiar, but also some others that were new to this market. Here are some wines to look for: Ventisquero, a winery in the Casablanca Valley northwest of Santiago, had two wines for tasting – a Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2006 with nice mango and red currant flavors and crisp acidity; and a Pinot Noir Reserve 2005, light and aromatic with lovely strawberry fruit. Both should retail for about $13 and represent good values, especially the Pinot Noir. As Pinot Noir is rare in Chile, this was a personal favorite in the tasting. Casas del Bosque, also in Casablanca Valley, poured a nice 2005 Chardonnay and a 2004 Merlot Reserve that was Bordelais in character, with a hint of green flavors and the familiar Chilean flint. There was a little too much oak for my taste, but I suspect that will integrate in another year. Falernia, from Elqui Valley, a small wine region south of Casablanca. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc was soft and fleshy, looking more to California as a model than New Zealand. The 2004 Syrah Reserva was big, with smoky Northern Rhone flavors of bacon and blueberry matched with California body and ripe sweetness.True Rhone snobs might find it a bit cloying, but if you like the California style, look for this one. Echererria, in the Central Valley, offered a 2003 Limited Edition blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenère. It was well-balanced, with good acidity and fruit. Haras, from Maipo Valley just south of Santiago, was pouring a 2005 Chardonnay that at the $10 level represents a nice value. The 2002 Elegance Cabernet Sauvignon, at $35, was big, rich and soft in the new international style. It was a bit cloying for my taste. Montes offered its Leyda Vineyard 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, which was crisp, lean, refreshing and bracing, with grapefruit and mango flavors, and, at $12, a bargain if you can find it. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Apalta, from the winery’s premier vineyard in the Colchagua Valley, is also a terrific bargain at $20, rich, with soft, spicy mocha and blackberry fruit. For more on Chilean wines, click here. The photo shows the Apalta vineyard and the Montes winery in the distance at the right, in March 2005.

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