At this point, I think that Chilean wine is almost running out of marketing angles.
To be fair, we’ve seen a whole hell of a lot of those angles over the years, and pretty much all of them have been true. Focusing on an ocean current, though, might be a bit of a stretch, even for Chile’s deep well of marketing themes. But when it gets you introduced to a handful of tasty and surprising wines, I think that we can offer the Chileans a long line of slack.
Earlier this year, I took part in an online samples tasting showcase of the Humboldt current’s influence on Chilean viticulture, hosted by Joaquin Hidalgo, of Vinous.com. While the current was first described in the 17th century by a Spanish naturalist, it bears the name of the man who subsequently studied it, German naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt, from his time traveling through South America in the 19th century. The marketing angle read thusly:
“Of the great oceanic currents, the Humboldt stands out. It generates one of the richest maritime ecosystems in the world. It’s so large and cold that it affects the coasts of South America from the 50th to the 4th parallels. And, whenever it shifts course the impact on weather patterns is global. So potent is the Humboldt that it’s no wonder that any wines grown on its doorstep are affected accordingly.”
Put another way, the Humboldt is one of the largest and coolest ocean currents to impact winegrowing. It splits when it hits the South American plateau, with most of it turning north until it hits the equator. As it flows north along the continent, the current temperature is about 8C (46.5F), eventually reaching around 11C (52F), and averaging about 10C along its journey. As Hidalgo put it, “you are next to a massive area of cold air” along the Chilean coast because of this. It also causes inversion fog (similar to what we in the States can see in San Francisco, for example), but on a much larger scale.
It’s a gargantuan volume of water. So much so that, even hundreds of miles out to sea, it still has a significant influence on the climate along pretty much all of Chile’s 600 miles of coastal winegrowing areas. Some of Chile’s wine regions are particularly impacted by all of this natural, nautical magic, and they were the focus of our tasting (duh):
Viña Montes ‘Montes Alpha’ Chardonnay Casablanca Valley 2022, $24
Sourced from Aconcagua Costa, fairly close to the coast, from vines planted on sandy to loamy-clay, primarily Dijon 76 and clone 95. Very ripe peach and yellow apple kick it off, and quite heady white blossom notes then follow with a spattering of fresh herbs. The palate is fun: juicy, fruity, and rich, yet sporting just enough freshness to help cut the ‘fat’.
Viña Garcés Silva ‘Boya’ Pinot Noir Leyda Valley 2020, $20
Aged in stainless steel, old barrels and concrete eggs tanks, this is an excellent Pinot from a region that I’ve liked ever since I set foot in it many moons ago. Black tea, smoke, black cherry, Xmas spices, and black raspberry kick things off here. There are greener herbal and spice notes, too, with deep raspberry flavor on the palate. The mouthfeel is focused and lean, delivering some assertive texture while also not skimping on the red fruit action.
Viña Concha y Toro ‘Amelia’ Pinot Noir Limarí Valley 2022, $55
According to the Concha y Toro folks, this is sourced from the Quebrada Seca vineyard, situated on northern bank of the Limarí River at an altitude of 190 metres The blocks used include soils with rusted iron-rich red clay and calcium carbonate. Blackberry and black raspberry on the nose here are joined by fine tea leaf and leather aromas. There’s a depth to the nose that is reflected directly in the mouth, where the fruit is dark, fresh, but also richly mouth-coating.
TerraNoble ‘Algarrobo’ Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley 2023, $15
Sourced from vines grown on granitic soils, this is a stellar value from one of my current fave Chilean producers. Pepper, black and red cherries, red tea, and a ton of rose petal are the calling cards here. The spice and lift are almost overwhelming at first, actually. The palate is fruity but also sinewy and lean, with iron notes, and a texture that absolutely floats on the tongue. Refreshing, and delicious.
Santa Rita Chardonnay ‘Floresta’ Casablanca Valley 2021, $20
A spicy nose, with herbal tinges, and notes of apricot, apples, and pear. More apple and some peach on the palate, with a lot of floral goodness and lemony lift, with an almost chalk-like minerality. A really pleasurable gulper, an open bottle of this on even a slightly warm day is going to disappear with alarming speed.
Miguel Torres ‘Cordillera de Los Andes’ Chardonnay Limarí Valley 2023, $20
This vineyard is located in the Talinay area, a mere 12 kilometers from the ocean and even closer to the Fray Jorge national park, in the Limarí Valley. It’s sporting an elegant, mineral-driven nose with white peach, blossom, yellow apple, apricot, and pear, topped off with a bit of baking spice action. The palate is linear, with crisp acidity cutting through the ripe apple stone fruit flavors. The finish is long, fruity, toasty, and electrifying in its refreshing qualities. Well done!
Cheers!