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WSET 3 - Geoff > C36 - Chile (reviewed) > Flashcards

C36 - Chile (reviewed) Flashcards

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1
Q

How is Chile’s vineyard area geographically defined?

A

900km from north to south Rarely more than 100km east to west

Defined bour broad features:

  1. The Pacific Ocean to the west
  2. The coastal mountain ranges just inland
  3. The Andes to the east
  4. A large depression south of Santiago where the two mountain ranges separate, known as Central Valley
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2
Q

What is the general climate of Chile?

A
  • Warm mediterranean -
    • Summers are warm and dry
    • Fungal disease is kept to a minimum
  • Shortfall of rain is mitigated with Irrigation (increasingly short supply especiallyin the North)
    • South - cooler and wetter
  • El Niño and La Niña - whether patterns that can impact climiate in some years
    • El Niño years - Rainfall levels can dramatically increase
    • La Niña years - Drought may occur
  • The cold Humboldt Current
    • Flows up from Antarctica along the Chilean coast
    • Prevailing winds blow cool air inland along the river valleys
    • It can create fogs
    • More impact - lower coastal mountains and valleys closest to the Pacific
  • Cold air descends from the mountains overnight can cause a large diurnal range in foothills
  • Weather between the two mountain ranges is much more shielded here and the large expanses of flat land are easier to cultivate
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3
Q

What has been the result of the two major cooling influences in Chile?

A

New labelling laws introduced in 2012, using the terms;

  • Costa
  • Entre Cordilleras
  • Andes
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4
Q

What alternative winemaking practices are widespread in Chile?

A

Sustainable and organic grape growing and winemaking are widely practiced by a number of small and large winemaking estates

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5
Q

What are the most planted grape variety in Chile

A

Red

  • Cabernet Sauvignon - most planted (of red or white)
  • Merlot
  • Carmenere
  • Syrah
  • Pinot Noir

White

  • Chardonnay
  • Sauvignon Blanc
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6
Q

Discuss Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile

A
  • Most planted grape variety
  • Made in a variety from simple and fruity to full-bodied premium examples
  • Premium - very ripe black fruit aromas and flavours, often with a herbaceous character
  • Frequently blended with Merlot, Carmenère or Syrah
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7
Q

Discuss Merlot in Chile

A
  • Inexpensive, medium-bodied and fruity (has been very successful on export markets)
  • Fuller-bodied and complex is also found
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8
Q

Discuss Carmenère

A
  • Chile’s signature variety
  • Important viticultural characteristics: Late ripening and most successful in warm, sunny conditions
  • Full-bodied
  • High levels of tannin
  • Overtly herbaceous when not fully ripe
  • Good examples achieve a balance between black fruit and herbal aromas
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9
Q

Discuss Syrah in Chile

A

It can be made into a wide variety of styles in a wide variety of sites

  • From cooler coastal sites or northerly regions such as Elqui Valley: Lighter in body with peppery notes
  • From hotter regions: Fuller body, Greater intensity of black fruit flavours (e.g., Colchagua Valley)
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10
Q

Discuss Pinot Noir in Chile

A

Showing particular promise in cooler locations such as San Antonio and Casablanca Valleys

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11
Q

Discuss white varieties in Chile

A

Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay dominate white plantings

Sauvignon Blanc:

  • Perform best in cooler vineyard sites, such as those of Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys - Excellent wines with high acidity and intense fruity flavours

Chardonnay:

  • Mostly made in a modern international style with ripe fruit and oak flavours
  • Limari Valley produces Chardonnays of structure, elegance and restraint, Aconcagua Valley and Casablanca Valley

Muscat of Alexandria for brandy Pisco

Smaller plantings of Viognier, Riesling and Gewurzt - fresh fruity wines from cool regions such as the Bío Bío and Itata Valleys

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12
Q

Disucss Coquimbo region

A
  • The most northerly of Chile’s principal wine regions
  • Borders onto the Atacama Desert

Sub-regions:

  • Elqui Valley - Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc
  • Limarí Valley - Chardonnay
  • Choapa Valley
  • All benefit from brilliant sunshine and marked cooling influences from sea breezes and Mountain air
  • Some vineyards are being planted at very high altitudes
  • Challenge: lack of water - irrigation is vital but expensive (less plentiful compared to other regions)

Relatively small vineyard, quality tends to be high

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13
Q

Discuss Aconcagua Region in Chile

A

Second smallest region

Three sub-regions:

  • Aconcagua Valley
  • Casablanca Valley
  • San Antonio Valley
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14
Q

Discuss Aconcagua Valley

A

Some of the warmest growing conditions in Chile on the fertile valley floor between the coastal range and the Andes

Some cooling influences from the ocean and the Andes

Best for Red wines

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Syrah - pioneered in Chile in this valley
  • Carmenère - becoming increasingly importnat

Wine profile (red)

  • Traditionally: Rich, ripe fruit flavours, High alcohol, High tannins
  • Recently: looking to reduce alcohol levels and find more freshness and complex fruit flavours, moving planting onto the slopes or towards the coast
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15
Q

Discuss Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley

A
  • Similar characteristics to Aconcagua Valley
  • Very varied soils and aspects
  • Both lie between the coastal mountains and the Pacific
  • Climate is cooler in these due to morning fogs and afternoon winds that blow off the ocean

Grape varieties-

  • Mostly white
  • Known for Sauvignon Blanc, particularly cool Leyda Valley within San Antonio
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir - most planted back grape variety
  • Syrah successful, particularly in Casablanca
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16
Q

Discuss Central Valley Region in Chile

A
  • South from Santiago to the sub-region of Itata Valley
  • A vast, warm, flat region
  • Where majority of Chilean Vineyards have always been found
  • Grapes can ripen easily
  • Focused on inexpensive, fruity wines, often made from Merlot and Chardonnay

Main sub regions:

  • Maipo Valley
  • Rapel Valley - sub-divided into Cachapoal and Colchagua valleys
  • Curicó Valley
  • Maule Valley
17
Q

Discuss Maipo Valley in Chile

A
  • Heartland of Chilean winemaking, due to its proximity to Santiago
  • Surrounded by mountains
  • Very little coastal influence reaches the grape-growing area to the south of the capital
  • More premium sites are located in the Andean foothills - cooled by the descending air
  • Known for Cabernet Sauvignon - particular minty character
18
Q

Discuss Rapel sub-region of Central Valley

A

Cachapoal Valley

  • More northerly zone of the sub-region
  • Warm area cut off from the ocean breezes
  • Carmenère ripens well on the valley floors
  • Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah perform well in the cooler eastern end of the valley

Colchagua Valley

  • Larger and more varied area
  • The centre is warm and open to some ocean influence
  • The cooling Pacific influence is greater further to the west and some high quality white wines are produced
  • known for full-bodied reds
  • Particularly Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Also Syrah and Carmenère
19
Q

Discuss Curicó Valley and Maule Valley

A
  • Form the southern end of the Central Valley
  • The most important source of fruit for inexpensive, blended red and white wines
  • The warmth and fertile soils make this possible
  • Maule Valley
    • cooler - wines retain a higher acidity (useful for blending)
    • Efforts to exploit the wealth of dry-farmed, old vines (low-yielding bush vines) that exist within the western hills
      • Carignan very successful
      • Full-bodied, intensely concentrated wines
20
Q

Discuss Southern Region

A

Climate - noticeably cooler and wetter the further south

Sub-regions:

  • Itata Valley
  • Bío Bío Valley
  • Malleco Valley - Southernmost, smalles

Plantings:

  • Itata Valley and Bío Bío Valley - País and Muscat of Alexandria for local consumption
  • Bío Bío Valley has started to show great promise for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatic varieties
  • Malleco Valley - small quantity of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ( increasingly attracting interest from premium producers)

The full potential of Itata Valley and Bío Bío Valley have yet to be explored

21
Q

Describe Chile’s GI scheme

A
  • Divided into several Denominaciones de Origen (DOs)
  • Thirteen sub-regions are there amongst the four main wine-regions of Chile
  • GI system is based on administrative regions - so they are very broad based and cover very large tracts of land
22
Q

When was Chile’s most recent regional classification announced? What was the result?

A

2012 It further divided Chile’s wine regions, categorising vineyard sites according to their distance from the coast rather than their latitude

  • Costa (coastal areas)
  • Entre Cordilleras (the areas between the mountain ranges)
  • Andes (mountain areas)

The terms are optional

Also recognised in Chilean labelling law - have very little meaning, but may be used by winemakers to distinguish their quality levels

  • Reserva
  • Reserva Especial
  • Reserva Privada
  • Gran Reserva

WSET 3 - Geoff (45 decks)

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