Chile: Principal Wine Regions Flashcards
Chile: Coquimbo Region
- traditioanlly for growing Pesco grapes destined for Brandy
-90’s came high quality wines
-3 DO’s : Elqui, Limari and Choapa
-low altitude , summer is intense and hot
-cooling of the Pacific oceana dn Andes are essential to delay ripening and show intense fruit and balanced acidity - Abv’s can be high
- Humboldt Current brings fog and cooling breezes but little or no rainfall 80mm
-edge of the Atacama Desert - irrigation is essential
and reduced water from snow has led to droughts
-focus on small and premium priced wines - lots of mountains
Chile: Elqui
Syrah
- 400km north of Santiago
-Follows the route of the River Elqui through rollings hills and the foothills of the Andes
-Lack of coastal mountains ans the river bring cool breezes and fog inland
-Syrah and SB are good in these areas with high acid and fresh fruit - home to the highest vineyards 2,200m !! = intense sunloght and wide diurnal range - deep intesne Syrah and also Malbec
Chile: Limari
Chardonnay and Syrah
- 100kms south of Elqui on the Limari River - cuts deep valleys through the coastal mountains
-west of the region is cooled by morning fog and cool breezes from the bay to the north ( no coastal mnts ) - Andes foothills 1,500m provide calcareous soils and retain moisture
- Chardonnay is the most planted ina range of styles , lighter near the ocean and fuller inland
-Syrah is also most successful red wine
Chile: Aconcagua
Cab Sauv / Merlot
- first to adpot labelling of Andes, Entre Cordilleras and Costa
- Cental part is dry and hot , moderated by high diuranl range - 250mm - irrigation is essential
-reputation for ripe, full bodied reds of Cab Sauv, Merlot
-producers moving to sides of hill and cooler sites - small volume command mid to prem prices
In the Costa - fog and ocean influence are umipeded by hills and produce great SB and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cool Syrah
In the Andes - 1,000m
-days are sunny and warm with cold air descending at night
-mostly red wines
Chile: Casablanca Valley
sub region - SB
-south of the Aconcagua Valley 30km inland
-Lowhills to the west allow ocean influence and are stopped by higher hills to the north and restrict cool humid air from escaping - coolest region in Chile
- inland, no water moderation and cold nights = frost
-SB and Chardonnay , planted in the 80’s
-some Pinot Noir and Syrah - with spicy peppery notes
Chile: San Antonio
SB
- located South of Casablanca -hills west of the coastal range
-heavily influenced by the ocean
SB with high acidity , med body and cirturs , herbal notes , wet stones
Chile: Leyda Valley
90’s ew vineyards but well know for quality
Foogy mornings ,cool breeze and bright sunny days are good for ripening SB, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah
Chile : Central Valley
- large region
-largley sheltered from Maritime influence - warm ,fertile well irrigated plains
- ripe, fruity , inexpensive iwnes - succesful on the export market
- seeking more coplex ,elegeant wines are coming from the hillsides in the Andean foothills close to the Pacific - small production and prem-super prem prices
Chile: Maipo Valley
Cab Sauv and blends
-Central Valley sub-region
-surrounded by mountains and planting are at 1,000m in the Alto Maipo and sub regions of Puente Alto and Pirque - good to outstanding wines
-surround the capital
- 1500’s
-many family oqwned wineries that dominate the wine industry
-no coastal influence - warm and sunny (protected by the coastal ranges ) - nights cooled by mountain breezees - wide diurnal range
-known for Cab Sauv
-high, soft tannins, intense cassis and minty
-good to very good
-also Carmenere and Syrah
Chile: Rapel Valley
- south of Maipo
-two zones divided by two rivers that merge to form the Rapel River
-Cachapoal Valley -
warmer , cut of maritime influence, warm fertile valley produces larges volumes of inexpensice wine - areas around Peumo are known for very good full bodied Carmenere ( shletered from the cold Andes but with some cold influence from the ocean reducing frost - good for late ripening Carmenere
Best Cab SAuv down at the E end in the Andean foothills
**Colchagua Valley **- wide variety of wines
-warm ,fertile is inexpesive, full bodied, fruity wines
-cooler areas are less fertile ad are some of the finest , most expensive wines in Chile
Apalta is on hilly slopes and S facing ampitheatre that catches cool breeses from the West , on poor soils = Cab Sauv, Syrah and Carmenere are well structured , very good to outstanding
-at the most western end , vines are exposed to the coast and are ideal for SB , Chard and Pinot Noir
- Inland - warmer but moderate suitable for Syrah and Carmenere
Chile: Curico Valley
inexpensive, high volume reds
- inexpenvie , high volume reds on warm , fertile land in valleys
- some rivers mean that irrigation is easy to source
- summers are warm and dry and largely protected from the coast
- Cab Sauv, SB , Merlot and Chardonnay
- yet to be fully explored
Chile: Maule
high volume - bush vines Pais and Carignan
-south end of Central Valley
-more vines than anywhere else in Chile
-known for high volume, inexpensive wines
-Slightly cooler and higher rain than Curico , many dry farm here
-lighter bodied wines and higher in acidity than valley floor wines
- oldest wine producing region with lots of old bush vines 100-200 yrs old of Pais and Muscat de Alexnadira for local market
-**now Pais is being revived **
The wines are pale, medium body, medium acid, aromas of strawberry raspberry and spicy or herbal notes , low or med- tannins but rough in nature so carb mac used oftern
**Carignan - mostly in Cauquenes
** bush vines back to the 40s
-revival of the grape thanks to the VIGNO , old vine and dry farmed wines
-Raspberry, cherry and black plum with spicy notes and medium plus to high acid and tannins , good to very good and prem priced
Chile : Southern Region
- coastal hills diminish and the weather is cooler and wetter - rainfall 1,000mm and summer never over 30 degrees
-fungal problems are common
-long growing season
Itata Valley - oldest wine producing area - with cheap grapes fpr blending
-going through a revival period - growers concerned about water shortages are movign here
- old bish vines 3/4 of Muscat de Alex and Pais - now high quality and prem priced
-also old vine Cinsault - good to very good , med abv, fresh acid and liquoirce, saline edge
**Bio-Bio Valley -
**Bush vines - Pais
-modern international plantinfs Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as Rielsing, Gewurtz and SB
**Malleco Valley - **-
only a handful of producers
-cool climate Pinot Nor , Chard and SB marked by high acidity
