Chile goes up in the wine world

Irish wine drinkers are great supporters of Chilean wines, and now winemakers from there are sending their premium product here to try and get us to trade up and drink better examples of their craft, writes JOHN WILSON

AROUND THIS TIME of year, new-world winemakers complete their annual winemaking duties and set off around the globe to visit their various clients. Despite our small population, we are one of the biggest consumers of Chilean wine, so early September sees a mass migration to these shores.

This year I met winemakers from three of the largest producers. Santa Rita is the number-one Chilean wine brand in this country, and Carmen number three. Errazuriz is up there somewhere too. Put all three together, and you get a pretty good idea of what is happening in Chile.

Several years ago, Santa Rita did some in-depth research in Ireland. It learned that we were looking for wines with less alcohol, less oak, and less tannin. This led it to launch a new version of the well-known 120 range in late 2009. It has been very successful, according to Terry Pennington of the Santa Rita group. “The 120 range is well above the average price for Chilean wine, but is still selling very well in a challenging market; it has become a benchmark for Chilean wine.”

Santa Rita also produce a number of site-specific Reserva wines, and at the top end is Casa Real, from a single 16-hectare site in the Alto Maipo valley, home to Chile’s greatest Cabernets. It is not cheap, but compares very favourably with the other great wines of Chile at around €45 per bottle. I tasted two older vintages, the 1999 and 2001, both very good wines that are still developing very nicely.

Carmen, under the same ownership as Santa Rita, also refreshed its range recently, introducing several more ambitious wines in an effort to get us to drink better. It now downplays its less expensive Discovery range and prefers to focus on the Reserva level and above. It intends to release two new ranges over the next year; the Winemaker Series, all Carmenère blends, which will retail for around €25; and the Gold, a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Errazuriz is a family-owned company, headed up by Eduardo Chadwick, an ardent proponent of Chilean wine, and a man determined to show that Chilean wines can match the very best in the world. To this end, he has released no less than four icon wines, Seña, Don Maximiano, Kai and Viñedo Chadwick. He has held blind tastings around the world, pitting his wines against the likes of Château Latour and Lafite. The results have shown that most experienced tasters rank his wines as good, and at times better, than most of the great Bordeaux.

Each Icon wine represents a different aspect of Chile. Don Maximiano is a Cabernet-based wine from the Aconcagua Valley; Seña is too; Kai is Chile’s first Icon Carmenère; and Viñedo Chadwick is from a single plot of (mainly) Cabernet Sauvignon in the historic Alto Maipo. As with the other producers, Errazuriz also produces a range of less expensive wines.

BOTTLES OF THE WEEK

Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, 13.5%, €9.99This wine is "more honest than before", according to Carlos Gatica, winemaker at Santa Rita. "We were trying to make a Casa Real with 120 grapes." Chile makes very good inexpensive Cabernet and this is a classic. Elegant, ripe blackcurrant fruits with a touch of oak, and a smooth, easy finish. Stockists: Molloy's; O'Briens; Superquinn; Dunnes Stores; Supervalu; Centra; Next Door group

Casa Real 2007, Santa Rita, 14%, €45Bursting with youthful blackcurrant and cassis fruits, all wrapped in a solid cloak of fine-grained dry tannins. A young, very impressive wine, it really should be laid down, or decanted before serving with red meats. Stockist: Donnybrook Fair

Carmen Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Leyda Valley, 13%, €14.99From one of the best regions for Sauvignon in Chile comes this elegant, crisp dry wine, with rich, ripe green fruits cutting through with a fine mineral acidity. Stockists: Joyce's , Galway; Drink Store, Dublin 7; SuperValu, Churchtown; Deveney's, Rathmines; Martins, Fairview; Molloys, Rathfarnham

Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere 2009, 14%, €11.49It was in Carmen's vineyards that a French ampelographer discovered Carmenère, a French variety transported to Chile in the 19th century. Prior to this, it was assumed to be Merlot. The variety has not proven easy to work with; it has a tendency to be either green and herbaceous, or overly alcoholic, or worst of all, a combination of the two. Carmen is justifiably proud of its efforts. This has a ripe damson nose, cool clean, linear dark fruits, with a light, tannic structure and a smooth finish. Stockists: Drink Store, Dublin 7; SuperValu; Next Door, Blanchardstown; Deveney's, Dundrum and Rathmines; Joyce's, Knocknacarra

Errazuriz Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, 13.5%, €10.39, but €8 in SuperValu from tomorrowSlightly leafy, cool, plum aromas; pleasant, soft dark fruits with some tannins and a light, dry finish. Good well-made Cabernet. Stockists: Spar; Centra; Supervalu; Londis; Molloy's; O'Briens; Superquinn; Dunnes and many others

Kai 2006 14.5% €75 Yes, €75.There are very few wines for which I would part with this sort of money, but I know there are still plenty of people who are happy to do so. Made from 100 per cent Carmenère, Kai is not a massive wine, but very stylishly made. It has very concentrated ripe, almost jammy, soft, lush red fruits, overlaid with spicy oak. There is plenty of length and good structure too. An impressive wine. Stockists: Thomas Woodberry, Galway; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street

BEER OF THE WEEK

Galway Hooker Irish Pale Ale, 4.3%, €2.60-€2.99 for a 500ml bottleThis has been available on draught for some time, but is now available in bottle for the first time. Light, fresh and nicely hoppy with a citrus bite, this would make a very superior and interesting session beer. Alternatively, it is a great thirst-quencher after a hard day's work. Stockists: Widely available, see galwayhooker.ie.

Irish craft beer festival

The Irish Craft Beer Festival which takes place this weekend in the RDS, Dublin 4, is a celebration of Irish craft brews. More than 50 artisan beers from Ireland's finest craft breweries, along with select whiskey- and cider-makers.

Tickets are available online from ticketmaster.ie or see irishcraftbeerfestival.com for other outlets.