Alvaro Covarrubias is a partner at the boutique Casas de Maule Estate Winery in Talca, Chile. He lives part of the year in Wellington, New Zealand and in Hanoi, Vietnam.
This column is about experiences and connecting readers to their inner passion for wine.
———————————————————————————————
TO BLEND (OR NOT TO BLEND)
Casa Tamaya VCS (Viognier/Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc) 2007. D.O. Limarí Valley, Chile. 13% Alc. Screw cap. CH$2,790 / US$5.12. www.tamaya.cl
Tamaya means “high lookout” in Diaguita, the language of one of Chile’s original cultures. At only 20 km from the Pacific Ocean, Limarí valley has cooler average temperature due to the ocean breeze as well as arid, free-draining soils. This highlights mineral characters in the wine and makes it best for white wines and Pinot Noir.
Blends characterize traditional French winemaking, and for good reason. You expand the the wine’s complexity, highlighting the best each variety has to offer. It also helps to soothe consumers who are undecided about a specific variety. But blending is tricky, and often falls flat.
This white wine is a blend of 3 popular white “aromatic” varieties. Aromatics are a sub-category within white wines and include predominantly Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat of Alexandria, Torrontes, Falanghina and Viognier.
Aromatics usually have higher acidity, are more expressive unoaked and (obviously) shine because of their high aromas and elegant, feminine and subtle floral perfume. Alas, blending them does not always work!
Tamaya VCS ’07 has a very pale gold colour with a slight green edge. Predominantly Viognier, the wine has subtle citrusy aromas of wild white flowers, white peach, pomelo and a whiff of apricot blossom.
Flavours are very light, fresh, and with a significant mineral character, and yet clumsy and undefined.
Lively acidity makes this wine a typical summertime quaffer and aperitif, ideally matched with fresh cheese, chutney & nut selection platter. Even with white, oven-baked fish or Vietnamese-style lemongrass chicken with steamed rice. Serve chilled but not too cold.
Blends can indeed add complexity to wine; but not always. Aromatics are about subtle characters and finesse, not power. Mixing them can sometimes negate and squash the aromas and flavours… like in this case.
Instead, try this: CONO SUR Viognier 2009. D.O. Colchagua Valley, Chile. Sweet fruity notes of apricots, citrus and peaches combine with pleasant oak aromas. Fresh and lively in mouth, this is tasty, full and savoury. Around CH$2,500 / US$4.58
SUPPLE
Viña Santa Monica Carménère Reserva 2004. D.O. Rapel Valley, Chile. 14% Alc. Natural cork. CH$3,849 / US$7.06. www.santamonica.cl
Santa Monica is owned by Mr. Emilio de Solminihac, who is also the winemaker, a university professor and whom I respect very much since he creates perfect marriages of wine, pursuing fruit purity and pairing it with sound academic/technical expertise. He was the first Chilean to earn an oenology degree at the University of Bordeaux and is also… a bit eccentric.
This winery used to produce (in my personal opinion) the best varietal Carménère in Chile. It was simply gorgeous, with terrific fruit purity, immense drinkability and low price. In simple words, it was a heck of a wine with amazing value for money!
He also sells bottle-aged wines. Reds that have up to 10 years in the bottle are not always good or desirable. In this case, the wine is already 5 years old and hardly exhibits bottle-aged characters.
As I’ve mentioned before, Carménère (Grand Vidure) used to be the most popular red variety in Bordeaux, France until the phylloxera plague wiped out vineyards and dreams around 1850. It is now Chile’s flagship variety and excels in wine blends. It has amazing, deep inky colour, enchanting perfume, weak tannins but a silkiness in the mouth, “green” herbal characters, uneven and very late ripeness as well as rapid oxidation.
This Santa Monica Reserva Carménère seemed very green when I uncorked it. I let it “breathe” for half an hour and then enjoyed it with marinated, grilled turkey.
It has a darker ruby-red colour with a purple edge that makes me guess it was blended with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Nice ripe juicy raspberry, black fruit (including blackberry and blueberry) and brambly aromas combine with dried herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs), cherry, black plum and slight vanilla flavours. I miss the super-elegant white pepper aroma (typical of the variety) and extra ripeness, but the clean fruit aromas, well-integrated oak, balanced acidity and silky tannins add nice layers of finesse.
Enjoy now with grilled poultry, seared tuna steaks & wasabi sauce. Available at Jumbo supermarket.
by Alvaro Covarrubias, Staff Writer
wineoclock@thepulse.cl
