Chile Flashcards
Arroba
weight measurement - about 8L
3 brands that dominate Chilean production?
- Concha y Toro (largest market share/largest vineyard holdings)
- Santa Rita
- San Pedro
*85% of domestic consumption
MOVI
Movimiento de Viñateros Independientes
- est 2009.
- an association of small quality-minded wineries making wine on a more human scale
*Garage Wine Co, Montsecano, Von Siebenthal, Sigla, Kingston, Garcia + Schwaderer
Phylloxera in Chile
Non-existent - vines still grafted due to nematodes (they love sand)
Seña
Robert Mondavi x Eduardo Chadwick/Errazuriz
Est. 1995
* Aconcagua Valley DO
Seña’s blend changes yearly - typically Cab-dominant, with Malbec, Cab Franc, Carmenere and Petit Verdot
Almaviva
Baron Philippe de Rothschild x Concho y Toro
* Est. 1997; Puente Alto DO
* Cab-dominant; Carmenere, CF, PV, Merlot
Latitude range for Chilean vineyard area
26°S to 46°S
Chile’s “Berlin Tasting”
Winner: Eduardo Chadwick, Errazuriz
2004
Viñedo Chadwick and Seña best Lafite Rothschild and Margaux
Chile’s 2 main mountain ranges and their soils?
- Coastal Range: granite, schist and slate overlaid by red clays - result of crust folding/raising
- Andes: volcanic arch in Pacific Ring of Fire. Some limestone from the ocean floor (via accretion), but mostly basalt/andesite
(80% of Chile’s landmass is mountainous)
Chilean Wine Law categories
Law #18455, est 1994
1. Region (Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Valle Central, Sur, Austral)
2. Subregion (River valleys)
3. Zone: again.. usually river valleys
4. Area: typically match a commune (ex: Puente Alto)
*75% rule for vintage, variety, place
*85% for Costa, etc
% rules for Chile place, variety, vintage?
75% for variety, vintage, region
85% if using Costa, Enter Cordillera, Andes
Carmenere in Chile
- characteristics
- 3 top regions
“Merlot” until 1994
*late, late ripener - 2 weeks after Cab. Likes humid clay soil, but needs the warmest spots
* 1/3 of Carm is in Colchagua
* Puemo (Cachapoal), Los Lingues and Apalta (Colchagua) are best sites
* pyrazinic, bitter, tannic - cold soaks uncommon, needs warm ferment to soften
Errazuriz Kai, Concha y Toro Carmin de Puemo
Pipeño
occasionally fizzy, very quaffable light red made from Pais (which isn’t allowed on DO labels)
Chilean Pisco
*created their own appellation in 1931; however, not EU recognized
*tends to be more mass-produced than Peruvian Pisco
PISCO GRAPES:
- Moscatel (Muscat of Alexandria)
- Moscatel Rosado
- Moscatel de Austria (Torrontés Sanjuanino)
- Torontel (Moscatel Amarillo, a progeny of País x Muscat of Alexandria)
- Pedro Jiménez
regions for Chilean Pisco production?
Atacama
Coquimbo
*both low-humidity, desert-like regions
Chile min ABV
Fermented from fresh vitis vinifera must, min 11.5% ABV
(12.5% for Reserva)
Chile’s 6 regional DO’s
Atacama
Coquimbo
Aconcagua
Valle Central
Sur
Austral
Most planted grapes in Chile
Cab Sauv
Sauvignon Blanc
Merlot
Chardonnay
Carmenere
75% of production is red
Kai
- who makes it
- what region
- what grape
Errazuriz
Aconcagua Valley
Carmenere
Chile’s cold ocean current
Humboldt Current
Carmin de Puemo
Concho y Toro
Carmenere
Carries the Puemo DO (Cachapoal Valley DO)
Atacama DO’s
Valle de Copiapo
Valle de Huasco
*Pisco grape country - not super important for wine
Coquimbo’s DOs
Valle de Elqui
Valle de Limari
Valle de Choapa (least important)
Valle de Elqui DO
- location
- zones
- flagship variety
Coquimbo ; Andes
* highest elevation area in Chile
*huge diurnal shift mitigates heat
* Syrah #1
Costa: La Serena
Andes: Paiguano, Vicuña
Alta Tierra
Viña Falernia
Syrah
Elqui Valley
A reference point for Elqui Valley and Chilean Syrah in general
Highest elevation growing area in Chile?
Valle de Elqui, with vines reaching up to 2200M
Valle de Limari climate
- Arid desert with cool maritime influence from Humboldt current and Camanchaca fog
- 2.75in rain/yr
- Camanchaca fog
Transverse valley - E/W orientation
Valle de Limari soils
Red clay topsoil + limestone (terra rossa); calcareous soils are unique in Chile
More alluvial/volcanic towards the Andes
Valle de Limari DO
- location
- climate zones
- 1st winery
Coquimbo ; Costa, Entre Cordillera
* Pisco coop Capel started the 1st winery here in 1993 - Francisco Aguirre. Tabali and Casa Tamaya also early entrants
Most important grape for: Valle de Limari? Valle di Elqui?
Elqui = Syrah
Limari = Chardonnay
DO subregions of Aconcagua (3)
Valle de Aconcagua
Valle de Casablanca
Valle de San Antonio
(all transverse valleys)
Viña Errazuriz
Valle de Aconcagua DO (the subregion, specifically)
Valle de Aconcagua DO
- main grapes
- climate zones
Aconcagua Region
* GRAPES: Cab Sauv, Carmenere, Syrah. Sauv Blanc gaining ground in coastal areas
- Costa, Entre, Andes areas. Transverse valley
Viña Errazuriz, Seña are the stars. Reputation is bigger than the plantings.. only ~1500ha
Valle de Casablanca DO
- location
- climate zones/climate
Aconcagua Region
* Entirely Costa; no areas. 33ºS
* COOL MED. Break in the Coastal Range = Humboldt Current cool air flows in. Fog, cool winds. 21.3in/yr
Veramonte, Casas del Bosque, Kingston, Laroche Punto Alto, Morandé, Montsecano
3 big viticultural challenges in Valle de Casablanca?
- frost (wind machines commonly used)
- depleted underground irrigation water
- nematodes in sandy soils
Valle de Casablanca soils?
sandy loam on the valley floor (nematode magnet), red clay over quartz-rich granite in the hillsides
Valle de Casablanca climate
- COOL MED. Break in the Coastal Range = Humboldt Current cool air flows in. Fog, cool winds. 21.3in/yr
The entire DO is considered Costa.
Valle de Casablanca grapes
- Sauvignon blanc
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay account for 2000+ha each of the total 6000
Pinot Noir, Syrah are most important reds
Valle de San Antonio DO
- location
- flagship variety
- climate
Aconcagua Region
*GRAPES: Sauv Blanc over 50%
* planted 1998 - Viña Leyda planted 200ha
- CLIMATE: Cool Mediterranean
13.8in/yr. Maipo River = irrigation source. Wind, Camanchaca fog, coastal humidity
Subzones of Valle de San Antonio DO
- Lo Abarca DO: most extreme cool maritime (only ~1k growing degree days); 4km from coast. Casa Marin
- Valle de Leyda DO: 15km from ocean. Viña Marin
- Rosario (unofficial): warmest, driest, more inland, furthest north. Matetic
Matetic
Valle de San Antonio DO: unofficial Rosario area, (in Valle de Leyda DO zone)
*est 1999. Huge hilly property composed primarily of pines and eucalyptus. Sheep, blueberries and wine -12M from ocean
*biodynamic
*Coralillo and EQ labels
Valle de Leyda DO
- location
- climate
- soils
- flagship variety
Subregion of Valle de San Antonio DO (in Aconcagua Region)
* 15km from ocean. Low hills, constant coastal humidity, wind, fog, very cool growing temps. 13.8in/yr
* alluvial clay soils
*Sauv Blanc #1
*est 1998 w plantings by Viña Leyda
AREAS: San Juan, Santo Domingo (both Costa)
Lo Abarca DO
- location
Est 1998 - area of San Antonio Valley DO
* some of the most extreme cool coastal vineyards of the new world
* 45ha - Casa Marin (pioneer), Undurraga
Chile DO’s with more whites than red
Valle de San Antonio
Valle de Leyda
Valle de Casablanca
Valle de Limari
Valle de Curico (SB beats out Cab by acreage)
*maybe more, but need to find/add
Maipo Andes areas (4)
Pirque
Puente Alto
Santiago
Penalolen * listed in SA Wine Guide
Macul, Paine, Buin
Rainfall in Maipo vs Maule?
Maipo is warmer and drier.. Maule is where the climate begins to transition. Maipo is ~12in rain/yr, Maule is ~29in rain/yr
4 DO subregions of Valle Central N-S
Valle del Maipo DO (35kha)
Valle del Rapel DO (12,300 Cachapoal + 32,767 in Colchagua)
Valle de Curicó DO (18,531ha)
Valle del Maule DO (11,282ha)
109,909 total ha (2021)
Valle de Rapel
Subregion of Valle de Central
* Colchagua and Cachapoal DO within
* most heavily planted DO subregion
* Rapel Rivers forms at confluence of Tinguiririca and Cachapoal Rivers
Valle de Curico
- DO Zones
- climate/zones
- major producers
subregion of Valle Central
Warm Mediterranean. ~27in rain/yr
* flat topography = considerable frost risk
* 2 DO Zones:
Valle de Lontue
Valle de Teno
* Costa, Entre, Andes
San Pedro, Miguel Torres, Valdivieso
The 1st to modernize thanks to Torres’ contribution
Valle de Cachopoal DO
- climate zones
- top area DO
- soils
Zone; Valle de Rapel
- Entre Cordilleras, Andes
- SOILS: brown clay/alluvial soils + warmth = great site for Carmenere
- Puemo DO (entre cordillera)
*Pedro Parra’s Clos des Fous has the highest elevation vineyards - Alto Cachapoal @ ~1000M
Puemo DO
Cachapoal Valley (Rapel Valley, Valle Central)
Entre Cordilleras
* top site for Carmenere
* silty brown clay + alluvial soils
* warm Med. Paradise for heat-loving varieties. 1/3 planted to Carmenere
* Cachapoal River runs through the heart, prevents frost
Santa Carolina “Herencia”
Concha y Toro “Carmin de Puemo” both label with this area
Herencia
Santa Carolina
Carmenere
Puemo DO (Cachapoal DO)
Valle de Colchagua DO size/plantings
~28k under vine - huge zone DO of Valle de Rapel DO (subregion) in Valle Central (region)
* 2nd only to Maule Valley in total acreage
* 2/3 of plantings concentrate in E.C. area
More Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere than any other DO; Merlot and Syrah also important
Colchagua DO producers
The old guard: Cono Sur, Viu Manent and Casa Silva
French investment: Lapostolle, Los Vascos and Hacienda Araucano
(Relative) newcomers: Montes, Neyen, Koyle
Apalta DO
- meaning of name
- river
- location/climate zone
- soils
Entre Cordillera Area; Colchagua Valley (Rapel/Valle Central)
* “earthquake”
* north bank of Tinguiririca River in the Coastal Range.. Horseshoe shaped valley… opens to the south, mountains on 3 sides
* well drained granite hillsides, clay loam on the valley floor
Key bottles/producers in Apalta DO
Casa Lapostolle (Clos Apalta)
Montes (Alpha M)
Santa Rita
Neyen/Veramonte
Apaltagua
Reasons for grafting in Chile
- control vigor
- defense against nematodes
Problematic vintages in Chile since 2010
2010: earthquake year. Cool, wet
2016: too wet; el Nino year
2021: wettest since 2016
2014: frost year, reduced yields
2020: bad frosts
2015: too hot - variable between regions
2017: too hot - Costa, Andes fared better. Wildfire year
2023: wildfire year (Itata, Bio Bio)
Costa
Regions close to the Pacific - usually to the west of or on the slopes of the Coastal Range
* strong maritime influence
* camanchaca fog in the mornings, sea breeze afternoons
Entre Cordilleras
“Between Mountain ranges”
* Coastal and Andes - typically the warmest areas with Med climate, little to no influence from coast or Andes
Andes
Chile’s growing regions in the foothills of the Andes
* High altitude, continental climate with mountain influence
* Typically cooler than the Entre
Los Lingues DO
Colchagua Valley; Andes
* Volcanic soils, 300 - 600M
* Koyle, Casa Silva, Siegel, Santa Carolina
Pirque DO
Maipo Andes
* top Cab Sauv terroir in Maipo (w Puento Alto
* south of Maipo River/Puente Alto. Pirque, Puento Alto + area south of Santiago suburbs = Alto Maipo
* Clay-loam and lots of river gravel
* Santa Ema has highest vineyards at 1000M
Puente Alto
Maipo Andes
* north bank of Maipo River; across from Pirque
* high gravel/stone content and wide diurnal shift = great Cab Sauv site
Almaviva, Don Melchor, Viña Chadwick
Maule Valley
- most planted varieties
- top producer organization
- Zone DOs
Valle Central; ~35kha planted; 35ºS
* home to VIGNO
* Cab Sauv #1, but significant historical Carignan + Pais plantings
DO Zones: Claro, Tutuven, Loncomilla Valley
Bulk reputation, big area with variable climate/soils. Generally granite/clay. Med influence towards the coast w continental interior.
Maule Valley DO Zones?
Claro, Tutuven, Loncomilla Valley DO’s
VIGNO
- min %
- training
- min. vine age
- aging requirement
- main region
Vignadores de Carignan
* min. 85% Carignan
* dry-farmed, head-trained
* 30yrs+ vines (can be grafted)
* ages 2yrs min
~600ha of Carignan in W. Maule Valley. 1939 earthquake’s rebuild prompted plantings. 2010 earthquake inspired group’s formation. Petitioning to become 1st DOC
3 VIGNO producers?
- M. Torres (Entre Cordillera Carignan VIGNO )
- Gillmore (Old Vine Carignan)
- Garage Wine. Co
- De Martino
What event prompted widespread plantings of Carignan in the Maule Valley?
The 1939 earthquake - the Ministry of Ag recommended replanting with Carignan to bolster the regions’ Pais blends.
Meanwhile, Moscatel and Cinsault were encouraged for replanting in Itata.
Chilean region most known/associated with old vine Carignan?
Maule Valley
Don Melchor
“Chile’s first icon wine” (so says Seña)
* Cab Sauv dominant blend
* Puente Alto DO.
* Concho y Toro - named for the founder.
Viñedo Chadwick
100% Cab Sauv; Puente Alto DO (area DO in Maipo Andes)
- Eduardo Chadwick of Errazuriz, made by Francisco Baettig
- planted dad’s polo field to Cab Sauv in 1992.
- 1st vintage in 1999
Casa Real
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Valle del Maipo DO
Santa Rita
Puente Alto DO labelled wines
Almaviva
Don Melchor
Viñedo Chadwick
Cachapoal Valley DO star grape?
Carmenere, particularly in the Puemo DO (area)
Valle de Colchagua DO river?
Tinguiririca River
Rapel River
(there is no Colchagua river - the name is Mapuche for “place of small lagoons”
Altura
Casa Silva
* Carmenere-led blend Los Lingues estate. Labelled under the Valle de Colchagua DO
Alpha M
Montes
Apalta DO
* 80% Cab + Merlot, PV, CF
Most planted Maule varieties?
- Cab Sauv
- Pais
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Merlot
- Carmenère
- Chardonnay
- Syrah
KJ in Chile
Maule Valley
1939 earthquake’s effect on Chilean grape choices?
Moscatel and Cinsault were encouraged for replanting in the Itata Valley while Carignan was recommended in the Maule Valley to bolster the local Pais-based wines
(remember that Pais was already widely planted)
Sol del Sol
Viña Aquitainia’s Malleco Valley line
1st to use the Austral DO on a wine label?
Casa Silva
1st Chilean wine to hit the Place de Bordeaux?
1996 Almaviva
* listed on la Place de Bordeaux in 1998.
* first non-Bordeaux wine to ever be sold on la Place. The next would be 2004 Opus One a few years later.
Name 2 producers of the Casablanca Valley?
Veramonte, Casas del Bosque, Kingston, Morandé, Montsecano
Chile Pisco categories + min. ABV
- Pisco Corriente/ Tradicional: 30% to 35%
- Pisco Especial: 35% to 40%
- Pisco Reservado: 40% to 42.9%
- Gran Pisco: 43%+
Chile’s first biodynamic wine?
Antiyal, debuted in 1998
Maipo Valley
* Carmenere, Cab, Syrah blend
* Varietal Carmenere
Atacama subregion DO’s
Valle del Copiapo
Valle del Huasco
Sur DO’s subregions (3)
Valle del Bio-Bio DO
Valle del Itata DO
Valle del Malleco DO
Valle del Itata DO
Sur DO
#1 = Pais. Moscatel/ Cinsault were recommended plantings after 1939 earthquake
*2/3 of vines are ungrafted bush vines
Valle del Bio-Bio DO
- climate/important mountain range
- grapes
Sur DO
* Pinot Noir, Pais, Chardonnay are most planted
* Temperate Mediterranean with warm summer, cold winters. Nahuelbuta Mountains block coastal influence. Cool , rainy - ~43in/yr
Valle del Malleco DO
Sur DO
not much happening here
very cool continental
Clos Apalta
Apalta DO
Carmenere-based blend
Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle
Hacienda Araucano
Lolol DO (Colchagua)
*Lurton fam from Bordeaux
Chilean wines sold on the Place de Bordeaux
- Almaviva
- Viñedo Chadwick
- Seña
- Lapostolle Clos Apalta
- VIK
- Santa Rita’s Casa Real
Errazuriz
Est 1870; key player in Aconcagua (Costa, Andes)
Top wines:
* Don Maximiano: Cab-based blend
- KAI: 100% Syrah
- La Cumbre: 93% Carmenere/ 7% Petite Syrah
Montes’ top 3 bottlings?
Purple Angel: Carmenere - Colchagua Valley DO
Alpha M: Cab-dom BDX blend - Apalta DO
Folly: Syrah - Apalta DO
Viña Aquitania
Bruno Prats (Chateau Cos d’Estournel) + Paul Pontallier (Chateau Margaux) + Felipe de Solminihac
Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon
Santa Rita- top 3 wines?
est 1880 - Maipo Valley based, land in all the important places
* owns Viña Carmen
* Casa Real: Cab Sauv, Valle de Maipo DO
* Triple C: Cab Franc-dom, Valle de Maipo DO
Purple Angel
Montes
Colchagua Valley DO
Carmenere with just a touch of PV
Secano Interior DO
- meaning
- varieties
- regions
“dry land” or “unirrigated”
Special Chilean DO: País or Cinsault - S. Chile between the Mataquito & Bío-Bío rivers
Covers: Maule, Itata and Bio Bio
Can be used in conjunction with regional DOs and climate designation
Chilean climate designations
Costa
Entre Cordillera
Andes
Listan Negro vs. Prieto
Prieto = Mission (Cali, Mexico), Pais (Chile), Criolla Chica (Argentina)
Listan Negro is common in the Canary Islands, but is NOT the grape in the Americas
Carmenere - Chilean synonym/parents
Grand Vidure
Cabernet Franc x Gros Cabernet
Miguel Torres contributions to Chilean wine
arrived 1979 in Curico
* stainless steel tanks
* temperature control
* new barriquires
* VSP trellising
Alto Maipo
area that includes Pirque, Puente Alto and are south of Santiago suburbs in Maipo - top Cab Sauv terroir
Valle del Elqui costa zone
La Serena
Camanchaca
Fog that forms on the Chilean Coast near the Atacama desert - dense, but too fine to produce rain droplets
Claro, Tutuven, Loncomilla Valley
DO zones in Maule Valley
DO Areas on the Maipo River
Pirque (south)
Puente Alto (north)
Isla de Maipo (south - not an island, just encircled by the river)
Buin (runs through it)
Wineries based in Maipo
Undurraga
Baron Philippe de Rotschild
Carmen
Odfjell
Santa Rita
Concha y Toro
Santa Carolina
Cousiño Macul
Domus Aurea
Santa Ema
Pérez Cruz
De Martino
Aquitania
- Almaviva: Rothschild x Concho y Toro. Puente Alto
- Don Melchor/ Concho y Toro (Puente Alto)
Puemo’s river
Cachapoal River
[Puemo = Cachapoal
Apalta = Tinguiririca
Pirque = Maipo
Puente Alto = Maipo]
Puente Alto’s river
Maipo River
(Pirque is here too)
Chilean Cabernet - regions with most plantings?
40,053 ha total
11,928 ha - Colchagua (DO zone)
10,568 ha - Maule (DO subregion)
5517 ha - Maipo (DO subregion)
4461 ha - Curico (DO subregion)
4003 ha - Cachapoal (DO zone)
Chile’s most planted - DO SUBREGIONS
Rapel: 45,081 ha
Maule: 35,015 ha
Curico: 18,531 ha
Maipo: 11,282 ha
Itata: 10,423 ha
- DO ZONES that’d make this list
Colchagua: 32,767 ha
Cachapoal: 12,314 ha
Chilean Carmenere - regions with most plantings?
10,837 ha total (~4th/5th most planted - close in hectares to Chard)
Colchagua Valley: 3657 ha (DO Zone)
Maule: 2201 ha (DO Subregion)
Cachapoal: 2003 ha (DO Zone)
Curico: 1259 ha (DO Subregion)
Maipo: 709 ha (DO Subregion)
Aconcagua: 219 ha (DO Subregion)
Chilean Sauvignon Blanc - regions with most plantings?
15,244 ha total (most planted white, #2 overall)
Curico - 4570 ha
Maule - 2727 ha
Casablanca - 2235 ha
San Antonio - 1008 ha
Maipo - 604 ha
Chile top planted varieties overall?
- Cab: 40,053 ha (2nd largest acreage of Cab after France/BDX. They hold 16%, Chile holds 12%)
- Sauvignon Blanc: 15,244 ha
- Merlot: 11,356 ha
- Chard: 10,920 ha
- Carmenere: 3657 ha
- Pais (10,443 ha)
- Tintoreras (big biz in Teinturier)
