White Wines & Fish for the RNLI

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is such an amazing charity – entirely funded by donations, their crews set sail without a thought for their own safety, often in dreadful weather whilst the rest of us are tucked up on the sofa at home. In order for them to be equipped to cope with the challenges that the seas around the UK throw at them when out on a “shout”, the RNLI is brilliant in raising these essential funds in all manners of ways! To run the RNLI last year cost £177.3 million (yes – please read that figure again!). In 2016 alone, they rescued 8, 643 people at sea, plus RNLI

Lifeguards went to the aid of a further 20, 538 beach goers!  So when they appealed this year for people to host a fund raising Fish Supper – it seemed a great way to invite a few friends over for supper, try out a range of wines to see what paired best with fish and top up the donation box as well.

Planning menus is almost as much fun as the actual cooking, but a bit of a quandary ensued for this evening. Fish supper implies a visit to the local “chippy” so would people be disappointed if the menu went all chi chi and offered a ballotine of poached salmon with yuzu dressing? So some canapés to pacify my need for pretty presentation followed by a Fish Supper involving batter but with a bit of a twist!

Cullen Skink

A trio of fishy Canapés to kick off with -  mini blini’s topped with smoked salmon, sour cream&  faux caviar, followed by Scandi inspired waxy potatoes topped with dill gherkins & smoked anchovy, ending with a shot of Cullen Skink (smoked haddock soup).

Baguette aux goujons de poisson sounds so much more elegant than Fish Fingers sandwiches, but not when made with rustic haddock fingers, lemon mayo and even a handful of rocket to pimp it up inside soft white rolls!

A beautiful platter from Southern Italy was heaped with golden nuggets of scampi, delicate lemon sole goujons and tempura king prawns. All very delicious, but of course no fish supper is complete without chips – so newspaper cones overflowing with steaming hot crinkle cuts completed the scene. Well almost, as individual ramekins of minted mushy peas were there for those of that odd persuasion!

So onto the wines - to avoid being too serious, we opened up a range of wines so people could taste a variety of grapes and countries.

Given the menu, whites obviously dominated, and with one exception all the wines were ordered from the brilliant Wine Society, whose list not only weaves around the wine world throwing up many a lesser known gem, but almost all the wine were just below a tenner!

Gewurztraminer is one of those divisive varieties (the Marmite Love it Hate it of the Wine World!) so it’s always great to see friends get excited about this aromatic variety. Add to the fact this one comes from Slovenia, Traminec from Dveri Pax, is a fun one to add into a blind tasting! Delicate rose notes typical of the variety backed up by lovely spiciness. Worked well with the oiliness of the smoked anchovies. £9.95 (WS)

Some classic wine pairings disappear as the wine sadly goes out of fashion. Muscadet used to be a default choice with shellfish, but sadly not offered as much these days as the ubiquitous Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. So how delightful to taste (drink…..) the Muscadet Sevre et Maine from the charming Bougrier family. They’ve been making wine in the Loire for six generations, including this lively, refreshing bone dry Muscadet, the acidity making it the perfect pair for the rich batter of the scampi. Great wine for a party being great value at only £6.50 (WS).

Tabali, a wine estate located in the mystical valley of Limari in Northern Chile, make a smooth Chardonnay Reserve Especial. Offering a more rounded mouth feel than some of the crisper other whites, it’s surprisingly richness (given the young vines and no oak) picked up the smoked salmon quite well. £9.50 (WS)

The volcanic soils of Mount Etna, home to the Carricante & Cataratto white grape varieties give wines with appealing layers of minerality. Tenuta Nicosia Etna Bianco with appealing red apple flavours paired happily with the tempura king prawns and the kick of the chilli dip. £12.50 (WS)

Encruzado is a lesser known white variety from the Dao region of Portugal, which sadly has seen so many vineyards recently destroyed in the forest fires. The Ribeiro Santo Encruzado is a delicious example to discover; citrus yet soft, a light touch of French oak adding complexity. £10.95 (WS)

Chateau Thieuley showed the elegance of a Bordeaux Blanc, when Semillion grapes are used in the blend, rather than the recent trend of doing 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This one also having a touch of Sauvignon Gris in the blend as well. Fabulous citrus notes, not just lemons but also tangerines & pink grapefruit. £9.50 (WS)

Hailing from the Cotes du Rhône, Secret de Famille Blanc from Paul Jaboulet Ainé is a blend of four whites grapes (including Viognier and Marsanne). Put quite simply, it ticked all the boxes for a good mouth feel, peach notes from the Viognier, well balanced and a great all- rounder wine – and I mean that in a positive way! Great value £8.50 (WS)

Matakana Estate Pinot Gris 2014 from New Zealand – the only wine shown not from the Wine Society but from our excellent local (Hampshire) independent Wine Merchant, The General Wine Company. Given this arrived in the hands of a vegetarian friend (no fish therefore), who is also lactose intolerant – it was much appreciated as a sop for the challenge of doing a “fish” supper for a veggie! It was deliciously rich with good acidity, ripe pears, slightly floral and honeyed long finish. £19.59 (General Wine Co.)

But for a couple of friends known for their devotion to reds, they gamely tried some of the whites before moving onto a couple of reds to see how well they worked with the fish.

Bulgaria might not be the first country to spring to mind when looking for a Pinot Noir, but stand up Soli from Edoardo Miroglio. Made by an Italian in Bulgaria, this wine is delightful, relatively uncomplicated but all the more appealing and very food friendly - worked best with the richness of the scampi.  £9.95 (WS)

New Zealand is perhaps better known for that same grape variety, so the Kumeu Village Pinot Noir made by Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich was a great comparison with lovely raspberry and redcurrant notes. His family emigrated from Croatia to New Zealand in 1937, and their estate, Kumeu River is on the North Island, also making truly world class Chardonnay (albeit with a higher price tag than this!). £9.95 (WS)

Back to Mount Etna for the partner in crime of the Nicosia above – this time from the red Nerello Mascalese variety. Trademark minerality showing through the attractive notes of red fruit with herbal notes, almost savoury finish. Would have worked better with a tuna fish steak (or meat!), but was a great option for relaxing with after supper! £9.95 (WS)

Added to the number of bottles rapidly mounting on the table, two beer options for one friend who was designated driver! Sharps Brewery comes from Rock in Cornwall and two beers which matched the fish main course – Doombar Amber Ale, named for the notorious sand bank in the Camel Estuary and Sharps Sea Fury, brewed at the request of local fishermen to have a stronger ale to revive them after facing the storms of the Atlantic coast. Seemed an appropriate choice! My informal Beer Guru of the evening said the Doombar apparently went well with the prawns!

So apart from a fun evening with a group of friends, having shown off a wide range of some lesser known wines and test run them with various sorts of fish dishes, the eight of us managed to raise £151.32 for the Lifeboat – which is good news! Still not sure where the £1.32 came from – but as they say, Every Little Helps!

With the high costs of building and maintaining the boats and Lifeboat stations, the RNLI are outstanding at looking to the future. Their use of sustainable energy last year created at the stations by wind turbines and solar panels saved enough money to run nine inshore lifeboats.

Please do visit RNLI.com for more information. If there is any way you can get involved (last year I did the H2O Challenge giving up all liquids except water for a month – no wine for 31 days? That was a challenge and a half but raised almost £600 – not sure if that says something about my friends doubting my wine resistance levels?) , then there are lots of ways to help support this truly selfless charity.

PS – If you want to see the RNLI in action, available on BBC iPlayer is “Saving Lives at Sea”  following the work of Lifeboat crews as far afield from Tower Bridge on the Thames down to the Atlantic coast in Cornwall.

PPS – Apologies, I meant to take lots of great photos of the fabulous food, but we were having so much fun pairing the wines & fish that was forgotten!! So hence a few images from some of the empty bottles next day!

 

 


South America Wine Tour - Part 2 - Argentina

The early morning sky striped with soft greys and apricot, almost a mackerel sky, as the sun rose, saw a sleepy and subdued  group board our luxury coach for the day across the Andes. Leaving Chile for Argentina, we left the Maipo valley and headed towards the Acconcagua Valley. As the city sprawl of Santiago faded behind, the scenery became scrub land with the odd cactus dotted around. Climbing slowly, the valley ever narrowed, with ice cold streams rushing along beneath abandoned rail tracks. Our final destination was Mendoza, but first a farewell to the wines of Chile en route. So we stopped high in the Andes at “The Soldiers Leap”, where legend has it that General San Martin (liberator of Chile, Argentina & Peru – bit of a local hero!), jumped this wide gorge on horseback and thus escaped the invading Spaniards.  There was a selection of wines from estates we had no time to visit, giving a good overview. The Pais Reserva del Pueblo from Miguel Torres showing the renaissance of this ancient grape variety, through to Cinsault made in clay amphora by the innovative De Martino team. One of Chilean first Icon wines, Don Maximiano Founders Reserve from Errazuriz showed  power and complexity and to finish the Cab / Syrah/ Merlot/ Carmenere / Petit Verdot blend from Encierra was a great full stop to our Chilean wine experience – Now Argentina beckoned.

But first, the dramatic backdrop of scree covered looming mountains led to a series of 33 “caracoles” or hair pin bends – wonderful views but glad that Ski Portillo was at just beyond switchback 33 for our lunch stop. During the winter, Portillo is Chile’s oldest & leading Ski Resort, but in February in their summer, the ghost like ski lifts, endless signed photos of skiing legends from Europe and the cosy Chalet like décor,  are mere reminders of another season. A reviving aperitif (farewell to Pisco Sours!) was taken on the terrace overlooking the azul blue lake, apparently formed by the tears of an Inca Princess crossed in love.

Aconcagua is the highest peak in the Andes, and as our new Argentine driver was keen to underline, is 100% Argentinean not Chilean! At some 6962 metres high, altitude can be an issue for climbers, so thankfully our viewpoint of its snow capped peak, albeit slightly covered with cloud, at just over 3000 metres was less energetic. The dreaded customs border crossing awaited – delays of up to 8-10 hours are not unusual – and so our speedy 2 hours and 3 minutes processing was a great start to our Argentine experience.

The landscape and geology of the Andes changes dramatically on the Argentine side as we dropped down towards Mendoza – technically a desert but the unseasonal heavy rain that marked our journey made this difficult to judge – so Derek hosted a tasting to dispel the rain and introduce our palates to Argentina – albeit with a Chilean twist, by tasting  from Montes Argentina outpost Kaiken wines.

No one has been more influential on the modern Argentine wine trade than Nicolas Catena, hence him being awarded Decanter magazine’s prestigious Man of the Year in 2009 - so where better to start our tastings on this side of the Andes, than at their impressive Catena Zapata cellars in Agrelo. Built  in the shape of a Mayan pyramid temple, it is a quirky cellar to visit. Joined by their winemaker Ernesto, it was a great lesson in understanding their approach to high altitude vineyards. From the rooftop terrace, the volcano Tupungato gleams in the distance, and which is where Catena source their high altitude grapes from in the Uco Valley.  The Catena Alta Chardy 2014 was a revelation – having tasted this wine for many vintages, the oak management improves each year and the 2014 was an elegant example with balanced freshness and acidity as well as the oak structure – bit of a bargain at only £15 from the Wine Society.  2013 Catena Alta Malbec had beautiful ripe tannins and sweet black fruit – at the first sip, I started dreaming of a garlicky roast cannon of lamb, perhaps with minted flageolet beans! Staying in the Alta range, the Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 was very different to many  New World Cabernets, being fresh, sweet black cherries, a hint of chocolate and with no green aromas at all. Moving onto three of their Icon wines – the Catena Zapata Nicasia ‘12 had lovely rich fruit, the Malbec Argentino 2011 blending fruit 50% each from their historical Malbec vineyards,  Nicasia and Adrianna giving a rich complexity to the wine. Ending on their Nicolas Catena 2011,  a world class blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Malbec from four of their best vineyard sites. There were 210 separate microvinifications (picking different lots and rows at different times) which all added to the myriad of layers in this wine. Although the 2011 vintage, this wine still has a long aging life in it, the beautiful bramble fruit backed up with hints of cassis and chocolate made it the perfect finish to the tasting. Wines available from their UK importer Bibendum.

It would seem hard to follow the Catena wines – but I had chosen next to visit my old friends at Bodegas Cassone. A real family run boutique estate not far outside Mendoza, the charming wine maker Federico Cassone with his lovely wife Connie, welcomed us under the shade of an olive tree in their 100 year plus old Malbec vines. Against a stunning backdrop of the Andes, Federico explained their philosophy at the estate, along with the family’s history having originally arrived in Argentina from Piemonte in North West Italy (home to Barolo & Barbaresco). First wine of the tasting had anyone whose palate may have been flagging sit upright like a meerkat on look out! Their Obra Prima Rosado from Cabernet Sauvignon is simply one of the most delightful wines of South America – even persuading the non Rosé lovers of the group. Pale salmon in colour, it has a wonderful freshness combined with creaminess – think strawberries & cream. Heaven on it’s own in a hammock , but would also pair wonderfully well with a trout and watercress tart. La Florencia blend of 60% Malbec with 40% Syrah, named for Federico’s mother and the labels showing her favourite flowers,  was plums, blueberries and a touch of white pepper – great balance of spice & freshness, it would pair well with red pesto or even the classic cacio & pepe pasta.  The Obra Prima Malbec ’12 had  a great purity to it, none of the jammy gloop that one sadly encounters in some Malbecs on the UK market – fragrant, brambles, with fine tannins, although it will last well, I am not sure if patience will permit!

Staying in their Reserve line, the Obra Prima Cabernet ‘14 (70% Cab Sauv / 30% Cab Franc) was stunning, mint & liquorice on the nose, tapenade and lovely herbal coming from the Cab Franc on the palate – where was a plate of tagliata or lamb with black olive crust when needed?  Ending on the Obra Prima Maximus ’11, which seems well named being as muscular and powerful as Russell Crowe in a gladiators outfit! 40% Malbec, blended with 20% each of Cab’s Sauv & Franc, this was a very serious wine with ripe plum fruit and nice touch of minerality.  The Italian attitude to hospitality lives on today in the Cassone family, so we decamped to their front lawn along with Federicos' parents for a “light snack” that would have kept most delis’ going for a month. A wonderful array of salamis, hams, cheese and of course empanadas (the competition for best empanada still continuing on this side of the Andes!) awaited – as did the gorgeous family dog, who though v nervous as a rescue dog, soon became my new best friend& happy to share my empanada…!  Yet more wines appeared including their fragrant Torrontes, a great variety as an aperitif with notes of tropical fruit and elderflower.  The wonderfully friendly Cassones make wonderful wines and all unbelievably good value! – there were already several orders placed before we left the cellar!  A simple perfect visit and very hard to leave! UK importer is Justerini & Brooks

Mendoza is a bustling university city, with lots of parks to explore but the heat of the day lured most of the group to the air conditioned bar or relaxing by the pool before our evening visit.  Familia Zuccardi have two estates, the original cellars just outside Mendoza and a new one in the Uco valley, and they have a wide range of wines – producing large volume of easy drinking wine through to small production, quality focused, terroir centered wines. The company’s owner, Jose Alberto Zuccardi has been joined by his son Sebastian as wine maker and his daughter Julia in the family company. The short pre-dinner tasting including their Ancellotta, to show off this unusual red grape variety from their experimental range, their Z and two of their Uco wines – the Vistaflores Aluvional reflecting the soils created by glacial movements over many years. But there is only so much tasting to be done in one day, so the remaining five wines were served over an inventive tasting menu devised by their in house Chef – Matias Aldasoro. Their Fiano (a white more normally found in Campania in Southern Italy) paired well with the tomato starter, the veal capaccio with oregano ice cream stood up well to the rustic notes of the Zuccardi Emma made from Bonarda, a red grape hailing from North West Italy. The main of baby goat with raspberry ketchup and consommé of goat bought out all the brambly black fruit of the Zuccardi Q Malbec. For desert, apple cake, pear granite & Catalan peach cream echoed the ripe apricot elements of the Malamado Viognier. So if anyone still thought that Argentina was only about huge hunks of BBQ steak – this tasting menu left them in no doubt that inventive modern Argentinian cooking is very much alive – and such flavour experimentation reflects the open minded wine making approach of the Zuccardis. UK importer is Alliance Wine.

The Uco Valley lies to the South East of Mendoza City, although technically still falls under Mendoza, it is very different to the more traditional Mendocino vineyard regions. With the Tupungato volcano dominating the skyline, and the many off shoots of the Tunuyan River spreading like tentacles, the region is (for now) gloriously unspoilt against wide open skies with incredible luminosity, although vineyard plantings have doubled since 2001. Not only key Argentine names but also from France, including famous Consultant Michel Rolland and several Bordeaux Chateaux and the Lurton Brothers amongst others. The vineyards are planted at a higher altitude then their city cousins, which gives a cooler micro climate. Heading through police road blocks(protection of the biosecurity of the Uco for its fruit & veg industry), the Uco Valley with its poplar lined roads is the place that has the Argentinean winemakers excited. As Sebastian Zuccardi points out, there should be more recognition of the different wine sub regions rather than all being clumped under one classification. The investment in the region over the last 15 years has been considerable and there a host of fascinating estates to visit, from an architectural point of view as well as vinous!

But sadly our time in Argentina was limited, so we headed to one of the most impressive estates, Bodegas Salentein.  Owned by a Dutch family who named the estate after their Castle in Holland, no expense was spared in the design of the winery, which blends in well against the mountains. Having tried to work out how many barrels I have seen over the last 20 years of visiting wine estates (the computer ran out of zeros), it is hard for me to be truly impressed by a cellar but the design of the barrel room 8 metres below ground level is rather good – complete with piano for concerts (limited length of time only to avoid disturbing the wine too much)! But it is the table in the tasting room that is truly breath taking, hewn from a single piece of rock from San Juan – a hand deep in depth and long enough to comfortably seat 30 people! Hosted by the very knowledgeable Marcelo Gil, the tasting started with the Reserve Chardy ’15 from the Las Pampas Vineyard at 1250 metres asl, it was all greengages and clotted cream with 60% of the wine having undergone malolactic fermentation. The Primus Chardy ‘14 was different in style, a blend of several parcels, it was a very textural wine with a long finish. The Primus Pinot Noir ’11, with fruit coming only from their higher altitude vineyards, had a nice nose of violets, hint of tobacco with good structure. Their Numinia Gran Corte ’14, a blend of 62% Malbec, 21% Cab Sauv, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Can Franc, 4% Merlot but tweaked every vintage. A huge red wine that needs time. The Primus Malbec ’13 showed how fine the tannins can be with the Uco cooler, longer ripening time.

The cellars are also home to the family Art Collection of modern Argentine and Dutch artists, so a quick visit for some culture to feed the soul but before long, lunch called, so a short hop along a tree lined avenue to their Posada. With their in-house sommelier, we had chosen another four wines with lunch, to show how food friendly are the Salentein wines. Red Tuna Sashimi  paired happily with the Single Vineyard Chardonnay, whilst for the main course of pork marinated in dark beer and honey, I’d chosen to show two wines, to see which people thought matched best – the Single Vineyard Pinot Noir and also the Primus Merlot. Despite the threatening rain clouds arriving in style ,causing an impromptu table rearrangement, this caused much discussion with the group divided as to which worked best with the pork. Their Primus Merlot was one of the first merlots to ever impress me in Argentina, with its elegance, and whilst I’d have been happy with either with the main course, the acidity of the Pinot Noir worked superbly with the richness of the pork.  To finish, the Single Vineyard Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc was all clementines & apricots – simply delicious end to a relaxed lunch in the vines. UK Importer is GP Brands

Nights off on wine tour are essential to allow people to explore on their own according to their hunger levels – those who fancy no more than a lettuce leaf & a glass of mineral water after a full days tasting to those made of sturdier stuff, who see a free evening as a good reason to discover even more wines whilst on the other side of the world. Both Derek and I love the restaurant Azafran in Mendoza, for featuring great local produce with traditional recipes reinvented. But it is their wine list that keeps us going back – superb selection and fair prices, it also has a glorious wine room, with walls lined with bottles where we ensconced a select few of our group at the circular table  – having checked them for corkscrews first!

The last day of the tour, was a flight to Buenos Aires with time to explore this cosmopolitan capital before our final dinner together at a local steak house, Fevor in the heart of the Recoleta district. Having checked it out previously for its fabulous steak, I chose it for its wonderful wine list (not to mention impeccable service). Derek had fun deliberating which wines to end this South American Wine Tour, so chose Colomé Torrontes from the Salta region, the highest vineyards in Argentina for our last white. With the steak, there HAD to be a Malbec, so cue Padrillos Malbec 2015, made by Nicolas Catena’s son on his own estate. But also a blend, courtesy of one of Argentina’s most respected winemakers, Susanna Balbo, the first Argentinean female to graduate as a Wine Maker back in 1981! The Brioso ’13 with a fairly Bordelais blend of Cabs Sauv & Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot – which ticked a lot of boxes with the steak – showing good wine, good food, good company equals the perfect evening!

This was my 20th Wine Tour to South America, and there continues to be an on-going excitement in the wine trade in both Chile and Argentina, both countries now with a greater understanding of the land they have already planted through to the newer regions being explored and cultivated. So much has changed in the last twenty years and continues to do so with every vintage. Combined with the welcoming hospitality of the South Americans on both sides of the Andes, this tour was a fascinating way to give an insight not only into the wines but also the people and their history.

Sadly on this occasion, we did not have time to visit the vineyards of Uruguay as I have done on many previous South American Wine Tours, but that will be for next time!

To read my blog on the Chilean part of this tour - http://lovewinefood.com/south-america-wine-tour-part-one-chile/

To see full tasting notes written by the ever brilliant Derek Smedley MW – do visit his website www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk

For more information about Argentinean Wine, do visit Wines of Argentina

All photos taken by Cindy-Marie Harvey.


South America Wine Tour - Part One - Chile

Wide cerulean blue skies against a backdrop of snow-capped Andes, rolling vineyards of Sauvignon and Cabernet combined with a carnivores heaven of endless BBQ’s – what is the first thought that springs to mind when people think of visiting the wine lands of South America? Well, all of these are true but there is so much more – and more diversity to discover than most people associate with the wines of Chile & Argentina. Fancy Riesling with a racy elegance or a wonderful smoky Pinot Noir, maybe a cool climate Syrah or even a glass of little known Sauvignon Gris? All to be found – and more – from some of the most exciting vineyards of the New World.

My first Wine Tour to South America was in 1998, and have been returning annually, with the tour I organised for a London Livery Company this year being my 20th time exploring the vineyards of Chile & Argentina . It has been fascinating to see the developments in both countries over two decades – not only the wine focus  but also from the social and economics point of view.

The wine consultant to these clients is the fabulous Derek Smedley MW. One of the most respected members of the wine trade, with a wealth of experience, Derek first visit to the vineyards of South America was in the 1980’s and he has continually been revisiting over the last 20 years. As a Master of Wine, of whom there are only 356 in the world, Derek’s in depth knowledge of wines from all over the world was valuable in putting the wines tasted on tour into context, and he was always there to clarify any wine questions throughout the tour!

Several of the group met up the night before in Santiago and were swiftly introduced to that heavenly (if what somewhat dangerous!) South American aperitif – Pisco Sour. Discussion rages if Chilean or Peruvian Pisco’s are the best – but I will be diplomatic and say that they are simply delicious and possibly best to stop at the second one!  If you fancy trying them at home this summer, lots of recipes on line and the Whisky Exchange has a great selection of different types of Pisco.

Surrounded by an alarmingly large number of suitcases, we set forth on our first day, a Sunday so the streets of Santiago thankfully quiet, for our first visit to Vina Aquitania, which was started by three friends in the 1990’s. Bruno Prats (then of Cos D’Estournel), along with the late Paul Pontallier (of Chateau Margaux) joined with their Chilean friend Felipe de Solminihac to start a Chilean wine project together. Later, they became the “Four Musketeers” when they were joined by Ghislaine de Montgolfier (of Champagne Bollinger).  The cellar is surrounded by their vines, which in turn are edged by the ever encroaching suburbs of Santiago, giving the cellars a slightly surreal setting.  Hosted by Felipe's son, Eduardo de Solminihac, it was the perfect visit to set the scene for our Chilean wine adventure.  Many of the group are self confessed serious Champagne lovers, so it was interesting to see the positive reaction to their Sparkling wine, with Zero Dosage, just what was needed to put a zing into a Sunday mid morning.

Truly a boutique estate, where even the labelling is still done by hand, a full tasting had been set out invitingly on the lawn.  The estate also owns vineyards in the very south of Chile in Malleco and the SOLdeSOL Chardonnay and SOLdeSOL Pinot Noir displays lovely cool climate characteristics. The Chardonnay with its twice weekly battonage was rich & buttery with hint of hazelnuts  whilst the Pinot Noir had a great nose of black fruit and raspberry leaves balanced with fresh acidity and black cherries.  For a group of wine lovers, many of whom lean towards the Bordeaux end of the wine spectrum, the Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 was the real star of the tasting, showing classical Maipo Valley Cab of cassis & mint with discreet tannins and a delicious elegant finish or as described by a certain MW, “moresome” – which became a new tour word! Wines available in the UK via Stone, Vine & Sun

Tearing ourselves away for our lunchtime appointment, we headed further down into the Maipo valley, to meet up with leading Chilean wine maker, Alvaro Espinoza. Alvaro has been instrumental in spreading the word about the advantages of following organic and biodynamics principles in the vineyards. Although he consults for a larger estate, we caught up with him on his own personal estate, Antiyal. A fascinating walk through the vineyards, lined with almond trees, whilst Alvaro explained the main points of biodynamics, including the herbal preparations needed and the various animals that also “work” in the vineyards!

A brief visit to the cool cellar, where Alvaro proudly showed off his concrete eggs, a new cellar discovery for a few people in the group.  Increasingly more popular (despite the hefty price tag), winemakers from Bordeaux to Tuscany, Chile to the Uco Valley in Argentina are choosing concrete eggs for fermentation. The egg shape ensures a continual movement of liquid and the concrete provides a stable environment, which gives the resulting wines more texture and vibrancy.  Joined by Alvaro’s wife Marina, we enjoyed a welcome glass of their Sparkling (Chardonnay & Pinot base) on the roof terrace of the cellars with lovely views across the vines to the mountains.  Moving to Alvaro & Marina’s house, a relaxed lunch in the garden paired with their Antiyal wines showed exactly why Alvaro firmly believes in the holistic approach of biodynamics are right for his wines. They all showed a real sense of terroir, from the Pura Fe Carmenere , through to the Kuyen, a blend of Syrah, Cab Sauv, Carmenere and Petit Verdot showing lovely spiciness. To finish, their flagship original wine Antiyal, made with Carmenere, Cab Sauv & Syrah is always a favourite of mine from the early days when such world class wines from Chile could be counted very quickly.  As always,  a big seductive red with lovely smoky blackcurrants and a surprisingly elegant finish.  There are quite a few sceptics about the Steiner principals of biodynamics, but for me wines made under this style of viticulture are without fail, more vibrant and alive in the glass. Whilst I might not go as far as a sommelier friend who has his hair cut according to which day it is in the lunar biodynamic calendar (leaf, root, fruit etc) to slow regrowth, I do hope that more wine makers convert to this more natural respectful way of viticulture. UK Importer is Vintage Roots

A free evening  at our next base in Santa Cruz, resulted in some rather amusing discussions on orange wine the next day. Several of the clients headed to a local restaurant, where the owner is passionate about natural food. However, amongst the various wines sampled, he suggested an orange wine – which the clients were convinced was a gentle joke to wind up visiting tourists, such was its un-drinkablity. They were suitably horrified the next day to be told that actually Orange wine is style of wine made by quite a few winemakers in countries as varied as Austria to Georgia.  Here is not the place to explain the concept, also as I am most assuredly not a fan of the style if you are interested, there is a lot on the web!

Happily our visit the next day was to the Montes winery in the Apalta valley, a short hop outside of Santa Cruz. Nestled at the foothills and surrounded by vines, the winery was designed with Feng Shui principals. Welcomed by Dennis Murray, son of one of the original founders, and Maria Walker, their export manager and of course the beautiful Montes Angel who stands in the reception, thankfully almost totally uninjured from the 2015 earthquake which saw her thrown out into the vineyards.

The cellar visit was impressive from the roof top selection tables, which were being prepared for the forthcoming harvest (the winery is of course all gravity fed – no pumping)  through to the barrel rooms, where the wine is played classical music as they believe this has a beneficial effect on the wine, following a study carried out on the differences of music and ice & liquid. But as Dennis pointed out with a twinkle – only classical never AC/DC for Montes wines!  A veritable array of glasses awaited in the tasting room (374 glasses in total – glad I was not on polishing duty later!) with  a stunning view over to the steep slopes of their Syrah vineyard.

Joined for the tasting by two of their winemakers, Andrea and Gavin, the tasting ranged from the Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc with its elegant nettle nose through to three Icon Wines. The Outer Limits CGM was a wine with Grenache being the link between the other two varieties of spicy peppery Mouvedre and the brambly Carignan, all planted on 45 degree slopes! It would pair wonderfully with cassoulet. The Montes Alpha Chardonnay simply gets better with every vintage, and it a complete steal at the price of just a smidge over £10 – it is all buttery but with a lovely melon fresh sweetness as well.  Knowing that two of my favourite Chilean wines were hiding in the final flight was great to know – the Montes M from predominantly Cab Sauv with Cab Franc Merlot and PV was cigar box and Bordelais in its leanings, but for me the Purple Angel and Folly show how stunning the top wines from Chile can truly be. The Purple Angel almost all Carmenere with just 8% of PV was rich blackberries and bay leaves, whilst the Syrah dominant Folly was sheer heaven in a glass!

Montes have always, since its creation and thanks to Aurelio Montes, been a winery that queries every pre-conception of wine making in Chile, and have – and continue to – challenge and lead the way, from the planting of vines on the impossibly steep slopes through to Aurelio’s current project of placing dynamite in some of his vineyards to see the effect on the sub soils, and if this helps the roots to achieve greater depth without needing to irrigate. Very hard to follow such a tasting, but next up was a tractor ride to the middle of their steep vineyards for lunch with spectacular views across the valley. The region had been consumed by smoke the week before due to the forest fires further across, and so in view of the surrounding bush,  a planned BBQ was replaced with a delicious three course lunch – after of course the omnipresent Chilean Empanada – delicious with a refreshing  glass of their Cherub Rosé, all strawberries & cream in a glass – with several other wines to relax with over lunch! UK importer is Liberty Wine

One of the great advantages of New World wineries is the freedom they have to experiment and so where better to visit next than Cono Sur, whose advertising strap line is  “No family trees, no dusty bottles, just quality wine”. They source grapes from almost all of Chile’s vineyard regions, from North to the very South and this makes for a fascinating range of wines to taste. But first a visit to their vineyards at their cellar in the Colchagua Valley with one of their winemakers, the brilliant Guillermo Sanchez, to meet their (very noisy!) geese. Guillermo was fascinating about their sustainable philosophy and in detail about their integrated pest management.  Everything in balance in a natural way, so the geese are released into the vines to eat the burrito spider which damages the soil and eat the vine roots. In front of their beautiful renovated country house, our tasting of seven wines required our attention!

Cono Sur have a range of labels including the widely available easy quaffing Bicicleta range (with the bicycle on the label)   - bu we were concentrating on their premium 20 Barrels range. Starting with a Sauv Blanc from Casablanca only 14 kms from the Pacific, which was all grapefruit lime and slightly salty through to their 20 Barrels Chardy 2016, of which 1% goes into concrete eggs giving great structure without the use of oak – ripe and rounded like a Charentais melon. The Bloc 23 Single Vineyard Riesling was a revelation – elegant white flowers with 7 gms of residual sugar giving no sweet sensation just balance. Pinot Noir is something of a passion at Cono Sur, so much so that back in 1999 they created a separate winery at the property solely for thr Pinots. They also employed a Burgundian consultant in the shape of the brilliant Martin Prieur, and this is reflected in the style of Pinot they produce with the 20 Barrels Pinot 2015 which was v sweet fruit backed up by smoky black cherries. In comparison, alongside was their Icon Pinot Noir, Ocio 2014 , which had much more meatiness to it. From their plots in the Limari valley came the 20 Barrels Syrah 2015 with black inky fruit, pink pepper spice, mulberries was suggested as a tasting note – but it ended with a delicious tapenade savoury richness. A glass of their Sparkling Brut was the perfect way to start lunch with a delicious BBQ on the verdant lawn – with several more wines to taste (drink?) over lunch! UK Importer Concho Y Toro UK

 

Heading back to the Maipo, where our next three nights would be on a private wine estate, which is some 2600 hectares bordered by the foothills of the Andes and the River Maipo. Vina Tarapaca has had a varied history since its foundation in 1874 including featuring as alimony in a high profile divorce country in the Catholic dominant Chile.  Today, the estate is an enchanting place to stay,  the Villa with more than a passing resemblance to Scarlett O’Hara’s Tara – but instead surrounded by vineyards and a tempting cooling swimming pool!

During our stay, over relaxed dinners on the terrace, we tasted a huge range of their wines including their Method Traditionelle Sparkling from the Casablanca Valley through to the delicious Late Harvest , an unusual blend of  Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon and Moscatel which was the perfect pair for the dessert of Lucuma Mousse! UK Importers are Laithwaites

Away to the west of Maipo are the Casablanca, San Antonio & Leyda valleys, where the proximity to the Pacific Ocean means that the vines benefit from the cool climate. First stop was the boutique estate of Leyda, in the eponymous DO Leyda. Originally the site of a blue tiled train station, it was the last station on the route from Santiago to the coast. The young team of their Viticulturist, Winemaker and Export Manager welcomed us to a delightful shady dell under the trees, set up immaculately for a full tasting including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah from each of their three lines – Reserva, Single Vineyard and Lot. Absolutely fascinating to be able to taste all 12 wines which really displayed the terroir of each parcel and the microclimate created by the vines proximity to the ocean with its cooling affect of the Humboldt current. The Reserva SB was all aromatic green nettles, whilst the Single Vineyard from the IC Davis Clone 1 was flinty and minerally, with a long finish. This particular vineyard is named Garuma after  a local bird and the vineyards have three pickings times several days apart to combine zest & acidity with a little more richness on the later picking.    The Lot 4 SB, which is planted with the 317 clone from Sancerre, was attractive gooseberry on the nose and followed up with great mouthfeel thanks to 20% fermented in French Oak.  Of the three Chardonnays, the one that impressed was the Lot 4 Chardy 2014 with a deep golden hue and remarkably elegant. In the Pinot Noirs: –  Reserva PN 2016 was bright fresh red fruit, the Single Vineyard PN 2015 sang with hints of raspberries but nice structure, whilst the Lot 21 PN 2015 – well - it received the “Delicious – Must Buy!” tasting note! – it was black cherries, warmth yet elegant.  Cool Climate Syrahs are getting a fair bit of press attention in the last couple of years – and with good reason. The freshness that the wines attain due to the slow ripening season of this Chilean cool climate region, brings an added complexity to the variety. The Reserva 2015 was blueberries and with an attractive acidity. The Lot 8 Syrah 2013 was an impressive wine to end on but for me the star of their Syrah stable was the Single Vineyard 2014, white pepper combining with blueberries again and even a hint of chocolate on the finish – heavenly! Some of their wines available in the UK from The Wine Society.

Hard to tear oneself away from this “Winnie the Pooh thinking spot” under the trees for our next tasting, but onto another small estate, this time family run, Casa Marin  owned by the dynamic Maria Luz Marin.  The vineyards are situated less than 4km from the Pacific Ocean and so have a very particular micro climate, which is reflected in the elegant and mineral charged wines. Maria Luz has had a long career in the wine trade, but when she wanted to plant in the then ignored San Antonio Valley, she was considered totally crazy! Thankfully, she remained determined and planted in Lo Abarca with their first harvest in 2003. Today, Chile is unrivalled in the number of its young female winemakers, but their path has been helped by Maria Luz who was the first female Chilean winemaker to really make her mark. She has been joined by her charming son Felipe as wine maker, whose training in California and experience in New Zealand, bring an added dimension to their wines. Their flagship Sauvignon Blanc Cipreses 2016 is one of the most elegant SBs around (it has won Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World from Decanter magazine), floral on the nose, and salty minerality on the palate, but it was the texture that impressed most – and with a PH of just over 3, this wine will age superbly, so do buy a few bottles to stash away for a few years. A serious SB that would work well with food!  I will confess to be a Riesling lover – so imagine the delight of tasting two vintages of their Riesling Miramar! The 2015 had a classic petrol nose but enlivened by lime and sherbet  whilst the 2009 with the extra 6 years of bottle age showed how right Felipe is in saying their Rieslings can age happily for at least 15 years. If you are unsure of Riesling, with memories of cheap over sweet wines, now is the time to give it another go – the residual sugar of 9 gms per litre give a great balance to the natural acidity – and one reason why it works so well with dishes with a classic asian influence but also well with seafood (seabass cerviche with a miso dressing would be heaven!).  If you have trouble finding the Miramar, then do look out for their other Riesling stocked in Marks & Spencers – you cannot miss the hippyesque label!

Sauvignon Gris is an almost forgotten variety that has found its home in Chile, and their Estero 2016 was a good example of this pink tinged grape, with grapefruit & herbs on the nose. The Pinot Noir Abarca Hills 2011 was glorious – green tomato leaves backed up with smokiness on the palate. But time for some lunch in their wine bar, where the great pairing was the seafood risotto along with the Vinedos Lo Abarca Sauvignon Blanc, Felipe’s own project – he only made 2700 bottles of this wine! One of his tasting notes for this wine is celery on the nose – which is a new one on me – but having tasted it, it is spot on! Dotted around the cellar and gardens are various beautiful mosaics designed by Maria Luz’s sister Patricia, everything from  the life size gentleman above through to a woman reclining on a bench – one more sign of the attention to detail at Casa Marin. UK Importer is Alliance Wine

After so much wine tasting, a day of R&R was called for, so a whole day to relax and let one's palate recuperate was planned at Vina Tarapaca. A "do as much or as little" policy was in place – some went off horse riding with their gaucho, whilst others attempted the wicked pitch & putt, cooled off in the pool or took a horse drawn carriage around the estate. For those missing their daily tannin hit, there was an (optional!) wine tasting with a difference. Hosted by the always smiling estate Manager, Claudia Diaz, she had prepared a blending session. Split into three teams, with ten different barrel samples to use, the aim was to create a Cabernet Sauvignon blend - up to 15% of Merlot or Syrah was permitted and there were Cab's sourced from various vineyards on the estate. Armed with pipettes, this could have been a recipe for confusion, but neither Claudia or I had taken into account the competitiveness of the teams! The resulting noise levels from intense discussions could be heard across the estate and were not suitable for those of a nervous disposition - but what a hoot! Both Claudia & I in tears of laughter as the teams surrounded their final blends with more security than Nato, but phrases such as “A smidgen more of that organic syrah will give the right elegance” through to “1% of this will make all the difference on the finish” floated on the air. Derek Smedley MW had the unenviable task of judging the final blends – all I can say, although the wine trade would have missed him madly, he should have been in the diplomatic service!

Lunch under the cork trees beckoned, so a glass of Sauvignon Sour to revive the palate after the blending. An invention of Tarapaca’s excellent in house Chef, Juan, it is a fabulous lighter (less alcoholic!) alternative to Pisco Sour – simply replace Pisco with Sauvignon Blanc in the recipe – delicious! Chile produces some of the best fruit & vegetable in the world, so a relaxed lunch of technicoloured salads was perfect with a full Chilean BBQ.  Sadly our last night at this small piece of Paradise in Chile, as we had to leave Tarapaca early the next morning for our adventure over the Andes to Argentina.

 

To read about the Argentina section of the tour, please do check out my blog. http://lovewinefood.com/south-america-wine-tour-part-2-argentina/

For more information on Chilean Wine do visit the excellent Wines of Chile

For further tasting notes of these wines visit Derek Smedley MW’s excellent website - http://www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk

All photographs taken by Cindy-Marie Harvey