New Chile Pequeños Tasting

New Chile Pequeños Tasting - Houston

"Long and thin it will always remain,

but Chile is packing a lot of excitement into such a confined space." ~ Tim Atkins, M.W.

The quote above summarizes the message from the Wines of Chile seminar at the New Chile Pequeños Tasting in Houston last month delivered by Master Sommelier candidate Steven McDonald.

The excitement stems from Chile beginning to more fully utilize its diverse range of soils and climates to push the country's viticultural limits. If you think the country only produces wines from its signature grape, Carménère, it is time for you to rethink Chilean wine. 75% of all the grapes grown are red but there are a range of different varieties being produced.

This tasting focused on site specific artisan wines from cooler high elevation terroirs. These unique growing areas support specific varieties more easily and contribute to the purity of style.

The wine:

Aquitania Sol de Sol 2014 - This 100% Chardonnay wine was sourced from a cold southern vineyard area in the Malleco Valley which has a climate similar to Oregon with clay and granite soils. It spent 8 months in French Oak barrels with twice weekly lees stirring and no racking. Interesting, refreshing, creamy with medium body, medium + acidity with lemon, mushroom and a light mineral finish. SRP $35

Casa Silva Los Lingues 2014 -From the Colchagua Valley, this 100% Carménère wine is sourced from 14 year old vines planted at an elevation of 1475 feet on stony clay soil. Each vineyard block is vinified separately with aging in oak barrels for 10-12 months for 80% of the wine. McDonald discussed the careful farming required to get the most out of what he referred to as "a tricky grape." Spicy and fruity with raspberry jam, pink peppercorn and a bit of leather with a medium + body and medium acidity and tannins with a smooth red fruit finish. SRP $20

Garcés Silva Amayna 2013 - This sustainable 100% Pinot Noir from the Leyda Valley was grown on decomposed granite with alluvial stones and calcium deposits. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and was aged for 12 months in French oak, of which 15% was new. Blueberries, blackberries and a bit of an oxidized quality on the nose with a cranberry and licorice flavor and a slight nuttiness in the finish. SRP $35

De Martino Gallardia 2016 - This Cinsault is from the Itata Valley where it was dry-farmed on its original rootstock on granite soil. It underwent a short semi-carbonic maceration and was fermented with native yeasts. Fresh and fruity with a medium body, medium + acidity and pomegranate aromas and flavors, McDonald commented "it has a naturalness, a crunchy underripe quality that I like." SRP $19.99

Maquis Franco 2010 - From the Colchagua Valley, this 100% Cabernet Franc is sustainably grown on alluvial soils over a layer of gravel. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels for 14 months creating a full bodied ripe red with medium + fine grained tannins, medium acidity with raspberry aromas and flavors, a slight minty note and a lingering finish. SRP $85

Calcu Futa 2010 - This sustainably produced 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from granitic and clay soils in the Colchagua Valley. It spent 18 months in French oak barrels creating a fresh, structured, well-balanced full bodied red with floral aromas, blackberry and raspberry aromas and flavors, chewy tannins, medium + acidity and a light touch of vanilla in the long finish. SRP $65

All the wines are highly recommended; they are unique, delicious and reflective of the diverse terroir of Chile!

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

Nocera - A Native Grape from Sicily

Nocera is a native grape from Sicily. It comes from the Messina province which is located in the northeast. Nocera is a quality red wine grape that is most known as a blender in the red wines of the Faro DOC. I had the opportunity to taste some pure versions (which according to Wine Searcher are rare) this week at a trade tasting held at Roma Restaurant in Houston. Wine production in the region dates back to the 14th Century BC, however, phylloxera decimated the vineyard area in 1881 leaving it at a fraction of its original size. The area boasts a Mediterranean climate with sunny days and coastal breezes, moderate rainfall, and mild winters, all ideal for grape growing. The Nocera grape is a bluish/black color and has a thick skin which allows for the production of structured wines with prominent tannins which are balanced by good acidity. High alcohol is common. Red wines produced from the grapes are an intense ruby color with purple highlights and aromas and flavors of dark fruits a

The Salta Tour 2012

Vine Connections and Pioneer Wine Company hosted a seminar and tasting event for Houston's wine trade and media at Backstreet Cafe yesterday. All but two of the wines were from the Salta Province of Argentina. Salta is the most northern wine region in Argentina lying close to the Bolivian border. The climate is very extreme due to the high altitude. Plantings start at 5,000 feet above sea level and climb to 9,000 feet, making these vineyards the highest in the world. The intense sunlight the area receives helps to create grapes with more anthocyanins, these are the color pigments which result in softer tannins, lower astringency and more intense flavor. The wines produced are extremely pure, concentrated and terroir specific. Torrontes Riojano which is considered the best of the three Torrontes clones is the most widely planted grape with plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat increasing. The seminar started with a tasting of four Torrontes wines, three from diff

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