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Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Is that a “horse” in my wine?
I asked this somewhat grotesque wine question at a dinner party not long ago, although my intentions were quite innocent; I simply wanted to understand why more and more I was running across these somewhat jarring “mousey”, “poopy”, “sweaty saddle” or “barnyard” smells in Chilean and even Argentinean wines on a regular basis. Wasn’t that a “European” wine characteristic like in many Southern Rhone wines or Bordeauxs? Although some fruit aromas still persisted, they seemed to be shrouded in what could be called a manure-esque earthiness. “Liz”, said a winemaker friend across the table, “these leathery or earthy, sweaty notes are very common in European wines and add complexity in small concentrations. It’s caused by a natural yeast known as Brettanomyces.” Oh, what he meant to say was, in wine geek parlance, “it’s “Brett”. So why are they (deliberately?) appearing in New World wines here in Chile?
Fast forward to this past Friday evening, we pull a bottle of our house wine from the cellar, a Paul Bruno 1999 Cabernet-Carmenere from Viña Aquitania from the Maipo Valley. I am anxious to see how it will pair with my achiote-garlic rubbed flank steak, roasted baby potatoes and a watercress salad. To my utter dismay, upon opening it, there it is again, damned Brett…the barnyard in its full stinky galory (note: this is the second bottle in this case like this!).
What is Brett anyway and how does it “get” in wine and transform it, from leathery to pig-sty-esque?? Brett could be classified as a spoilage yeast where in most wineries it is controlled by carefully using sulfur dioxide during the barrel aging process. A couple winemaker friends seemed to imply that the increasing appearance of Brett in Chilean wines could be due to tendency to employ more European styles of vinification such as natural yeast fermentation, minimal intervention and sulphuring, and higher pH levels, all to produce more pure expressions of the grape, especially for higher quality wines with special vineyards. So if we have a European (or trained) winemaker does that make Brett more likely? To what extent is Brett acceptable?
Just to egg the debate on, I question is if Brett is truly an expression that adds to complexity or does it actually blur the wine lines confusing consumers about the grape and its regional distinctions (including wine geeks like myself). In my (limited) experience, I guess, like everything in wine, it all boils down to one's own taste. I can remember some great left bank Bordeauxs with that musty, saddle component that added depth to the wine, but then as of late, I have come more across its “crappy” counterparts. Hmm…the only way to really come to any conclusion then is to keep on tasting.
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Monday, September 18, 2006
Feliz 18: Empanada and BBQ mania
Ahhh, the smell of meat grilling. Santiago has gone up in a big cloud of smoke--from the carbon on the grills that is. Today is Day 4 of the 5-day Independence Day long weekend here in Chile; today being the actual Independence Day, September 18. Festivities commenced at noon on Friday with a mass exodus of residents (only about one million people) towards the coast and countryside. Chileans celebrate the "18", which coincides usually with the beginning of nicer spring weather (note: out my window here in Santiago it is cloudy and about 58F) usually in the form of the social ritual known as the asado, or barbeque. Not to be confused with the North American equivalent, here gas grills are not an acceptable form of fuel (only mesquite wood) and no hamburgers or hot dogs are permitted. The fare is strictly meat: steak, chorizo, pork spareribs, meat skewers, and the ubiquitious empanadas de pino (meat), all washed down by cheap wine, beer, or even more traditional, grape cider known as chicha. Salads may make an appearance depending on the venue but vegetables tend to be sidelined this weekend.
If going the private route, with friends or family, asados are a full day drinking and eating engagement starting at lunch and lasting all afternoon (after all, it does take several drinks to get the fire going). Party goers then head for the fondas (nap optional in between), public venus organized with live typical music, folkloric dancing like Cueca and later in the night cumbia, and of course, more food and drink (same asado style, this never changes the whole weekend). The fondas during the day tend to be more family-oriented with rodeos in the rural communities with the Chilean cowboys (huasos), traditional games like kite flying, and more food. The 18 is a time to relax, be with friends and family, and well, stuff yourself. This is by far the busiest time of the year for empanada bakeries, butcher shops, and artesian chicha producers.
Having just returned from several days in the Colchagua Valley (wine country but also a very traditional rural area) from a tour de force of wine tastings my significant other (who is Chilean) and I decided to pass on the festivities and just chill out and relax these days. Not a bad idea--and according to the nutritionist on the evening news who gave a rough overview of the caloric values of these traditional foods and beverages, we probably saved ourselves easily 20,000 calories, or about 6 pounds. Let me translate that for those of you who are gym goers like myself, roughly 35 hours of rigorouos exercise. Hmmm...
But then again, it is the 18 after all...maybe tomorrow we will give in and have just one homemade empanada. Being patriotic counts for something I suppose!
However you decide to celebrate, Feliz 18!!!
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Sunday, September 17, 2006
Coq au Vin a la Chilena (Versión NO editada) (Revista Mujer, 17-09-06, Edición 1249)
Por Liz Caskey
La versión que apareció el domingo, 17 de septiembre de 2006, en Revista Mujer fue significativamente acortada/editada; siento que se perdió bastante el tono de la columna y por tanto, en el blog quiero publicarla entera.
En una visita a la Fundación Origen en Pirque, una escuela y centro de estudios agroecológica, encontré el pollo autóctono de Chile: el araucano (el que pone los huevos azules). Su destino era mi olla; específicamente para probar una hipótesis de chilenizar una clásica receta francesa, Le Coq au Vin (pollo al vino), “nacionalizada” con un pollo araucano orgánico y un Carmenere maduro. Este guiso intenso, tiene como base en Francia el pollo de campo ya maduro, un vino corpulento y verduras aromáticas. Su cocción es pura simpleza, la clave radica en entregarle el tiempo necesario para su lenta cocción, así revelar su complejidad y textura aterciopelada. Como toda hipótesis culinaria, convidé a un panel de críticos (amigos con paladares exigentes) para juzgar. Los resultados? caldos impresionantemente sabrosos y la carne más firme y magra que la acostumbrada vía hormonas. El sabor es potente y vale la pena, pero por favor no se limiten al pollito araucano, funciona con el “pollo común” de campo, el que en estas fechas patriotas anda cruzándose por todas partes. Asegurénse de escoger un rico vino, siempre respetando la regla si no lo tomarías, ¿por qué lo comerías?, Sugerencia personal, un vino “jugoso”, con harta fruta madura le viene bien. OK. ve por tu pollo de campo con estilo!
1 pollo en 8 trozos;
sal y pimienta negra;
1.5 tazas harina;
2-3 cdas aceite de oliva;
2 ramas romero fresco;
200g champiñones frescos;
3 dientes de ajo finamente picados;
1 botella vino tinto;
1 cda azúcar;
½ taza crema espesa;
6 cebollines enteros cortados
Sazonar el pollo con sal, pimienta y cubrir en harina, sacudiendo el exceso. En una olla grande, cubrir el fondo con aceite de oliva y dorar el pollo con el romero por ambos lados para dejar crocante la piel. Retirar y guardar. Agregar los champiñones a la misma olla junto al ajo y cocer revolviendo. Agregar el vino tinto y reducir (sin tapa) por la mitad. Después, degustar y corregir con azúcar para equilibrar los taninos del vino. Devolver el pollo a la olla y cocer a fuego lento por 1-1.5 horas. Retirar del fuego, agregar la crema, sazonar y agregar los cebollines. La salsa debe mantenerse en la cuchara completamente—si no, seguir cociendo unos minutos más. Servir con puré de papas o papas hervidas.
21:25 Posted in MUJER MAGAZINE-La Tercera Newspaper (Chile) | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
Saturday, September 16, 2006
El Prinicipal: Pure High Maipo Terroir
The Story
The basic story is one repeated time and again in South America: French know-how plus Chilean terroir equals outstanding wines—or in the case of El Principal winery, that is how the story originally started, but from their it morphed into its own.
The late Frenchman Jean-Paul Valette (former owner of Chateau Pavie in Saint-Emilion) came to Chile and fell in love with land, the people, and saw the potential to make incredible wines here. His ties led to a friendship and partnership with the Chilean Jorge Fontaine, the owner of Hacienda El Principal located in the far eastern part of Pirque (High Maipo Valley). Here they selected the best terroir and later planted and developed the existing vines, around 54 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, the ubiquitous Carmenere and Cabernet Franc. From this partnership El Principal S.A. was born, focusing exclusively, like most French chateaus, on only making the best quality wines. They planted Bordeaux-style (high density) for three years and in a tragic twist of fate, Jean-Paul died shortly before the 1999 harvest (one of Chile’s finest).
However, given the Valette family’s devotion to wine (and Bordelaise history), his son Patrick Valette (now a very prestigious wine consultant in Chile), continued his father’s work. The key to their success? Make these wines like the great ones in France, both in technique and style. The Valette and Fontaine families recently dissolved the society, selling to Döhle Latinamerika, the new German parent company. Despite the acquisition, the focus has not wandered—in fact, El Principal now has the financing to expand its vineyard plantings, acquire new (and better) equipment, more French barrels, etc. etc. Its long term goal of producing one of the finest “New World” wines grows stronger. And after our visit on a rainy Monday, we definitely believe it!
The Wines: Love at First Sight—and Sip
We arrived at El Principal around noon with gray clouds hugging the Andes foothills and a steady drizzle of rain. The main road and entrance to the hard-to-find winery was closed due to work on the road. However, after some meandering we found a caretaker who opened the secondary gate, making our way through a muddy “trail” back to the hacienda-cum-winery. “Maestros”, or Chilean handy men, we pounding away at various projects by mandate of the new owner. We met with the current winemaker, Gonzalo Guzmán, a young, enthusiastic Chilean in a bare bones meeting room with a large wooden dining table and worn leather chairs. As in all of Chile at this time of year, there was a space heater to take the chill off. The entire back of the room was paneled in plate glass—and with good reason—the view of the Andes foothills, the vineyards, and terraces could be viewed in their emerald green splendor. The hills looked soft, like covered with evergreen plush velvet and the mistiness of the clouds shrouding the hills, gave it a mysterious, enchanting look.
Well, on to the wines. I will cut to the chase here! They were served a little cold given the day and the temperature of the cellar. Gonzalo decanted both of them and with the little space heater, they slowly came up to their ideal temperature (16 C). To give you a little background on the wines, for those of you (like myself) always craving to know how they get to their final product. The vines are planted on the piedmont of the Andes on alluvial soils facing North (which is necessary in the Southern hemisphere for sufficient sun exposure and ripening). In order to get the tremendous concentrations El Principal is known for their vineyard management techniques includes shoot thinning, a green harvest, canopy management, crop thinning, hand-picking and table grape sorting before crushing. Their miniscule yield (of 4,000 /hectare) is strictly controlled in order to achieve fruit's balance and the perfect ripeness.
In the winery, all the grapes are hand-picked and the berries hand-selected for quality before going into the tanks for crushing. A pre-fermentative maceration is done at low temperatures (8 C) for about 4 days in order to maintain the aromas (hence the fresh fruit nose you will find in these wines). After, the alcoholic fermentation is carried out at standard controlled temperatures. Other macerations during fermentation and post-fermentation last approximately 21 days. All the malolactic fermentation is carried out in new French oak barrels (100%), with aging continuing for 16 months. Batonnage (stirring of the wine gently in the barrels) is conducted every week during the first 6 months. To get to market is easily 3-4 years, like most premium wines in Chile nowadays.
Tasting Notes:
El Principal 2001: The fruit rules here—and when I say fruit think of walking through a farmers market munching on fresh black plums and black currants—no jams or canned fruit in sight! It is alive and kicking, as is its vibrating acidity, and assertive yet not overpowering tannins that give the wine great structure. Everything is so well integrated that the overall effect in the palate is freshness and elegance, renewed with each sip with its tingling acidity (making the bottle disappear unfortunately way too quickly). Given this an extremely concentrated wine, the 2001 is almost on the border of being too young to drink. The best bet (and what we ultimately decided to do) was to buy a case and see how the wine evolves. My response upon asking the winemaker what made this wine so incredible was, “Obviously great vineyard management…but honestly, it’s the terroir”. There you go.
Memorias 2000: Very similar to El Principal but less “charged” in terms of concentration and length. Made from the same grapes, the same style, the same vineyards, just less extracted and concentrated so simplicity and balance are the name of the game. Perhaps after trying El Principal this may seem like the “little brother” being less impressive and dramatic but it still maintains that editorial line of elegance, which for me is what characterizes these wines. A wine that could be ready to drink now; or at least in the short-to-medium term—but for El Principal this could still mean up to 5 years. So once again, buy a case and settle in to see what happens.
Production and Where to Find
1999: 3000 cases
2000: 2000 cases
2001: 4800 cases
As you can see, production is very limited and within Chile only to retail shops and very fine restaurants. Your best bet is to call the winery directly and order a couple cases: www.elprincipal.cl This is one of Chile’s reference wines, specifically if you are interested in knowing what the potential is of Chilean soils and in particular, High Maipo Valley Cabernet-Carmenere. Absolutely inspiring.
18:00 Posted in Interesting Wines | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
Monday, September 04, 2006
A Breath of Fresh Air: Casas del Bosque Syrah 2003
Last night we had the ultimate wine-food pairing task: Indian food. I find that wine is often shrouded by this highly condimented cuisine so I was at a loss of what wine to choose that would stand up to something as "assertive" as the three curries I had prepared. Since moving to our new house, our wine cellar is still full of boxes, making it near impossible to find anything or even jog my memory what is there! At first (blind) grab, I pulled out a Casas del Bosque Syrah 2003--one of those wines I vaguely remember buying but had forgotten that it was in my collection. I then recalled the glowing reviews Chilean Wine Journalist Patricio Tapia (Planetavinos) had given this wine, specifically the 2003 vintage, which was ultimately the decisive factor in buying it. Well, why not, let's try it! I had no idea what to expect--just prayed for no hedonistic fruit bombs, overoaking and some minute level of balance. What a surprise I was in for...
I (and everyone else at the dinner) loved this wine, a total delight. One word to sum it up? F-R-E-S-H. It had a fresh aroma with lots of red fruit and those slightly black peppery notes on the nose with a hint of mint that for me are characteristic of these "cold weather" Syrahs coming from that particular cold corner of the Casablanca Valley (like Kingston Family Vineyard's Bayo Oscuro) or the San Antonio Valley (like Matetic Vineyards). In the mouth, the acidity was mouthwatering and invited me to sip and sip again until the glass had disappeared (very rapidly I may add). In terms of texture, it had enough tannins to stand up to the Indian food but once again, the acidity cleaned the palate and was refreshing from the flavor buzz that had overtaken our tastebuds. My only complaint? I hadn't bought another bottle! BOOOO!
It is definitely a wine worth trying for its purely pleasurable experience--and is also worth tasting this interesting area of Chilean coastal vineyards.
Oh, and the cost? How about a cool US$10. Oh yeah.
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Saturday, September 02, 2006
Old grapes Find New World (Financial Times)
For some grape varieties, the equator is a mirror. Their southern-hemisphere persona reflects the northern original, albeit with a few tweaks in volume and pungency. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc are all, once installed under the southern cross, plainly recognisable from their passport photographs.
For other grape varieties, by contrast, the equator is a prism. The south does something different to them; they suffer a sea-change and almost always into something richer and stranger than their northern selves. Australian Shiraz is mostly unrecognisable when compared to the lean beast that prowls the hill of Hermitage; Sémillon and Chenin Blanc, too, sprout new personalities under a southern sun. And as for Argentine Malbec . . .
Back in France this grape is a kind of odd-job red, popping up in regions as disparate as Cabardès, Bordeaux and Anjou and assuming a wide variety of aliases (such as Auxerrois and Côt). Only on the gravel terraces of Cahors does it achieve greatness: dark, inky wines with a rugged chin line and a markedly ferrous note, as if each bottle contained a teaspoon of iron filings. Elsewhere, it's a grouchy stiffener.
It was imported to Argentina in the mid-19th century and flourished in the desert oasis of Mendoza, the source of 70 per cent of the country's wine (and 90 per cent of its wine exports). Familiarity bred contempt: 30,000 hectares of old-vine Malbec were torn up in the 1960s and 1970s, when Cabernet was thought to be the coming red. Cabernet does indeed perform well here and the two varieties blend happily, yet few doubt now that Mendoza Malbec is that most precious of national viticultural assets: a world original.
Its quality potential is impressive. Might it one day produce the most complex and food-friendly red wines in the southern hemisphere? There's a chance. The best combine a soaring fruit line with a distinctively perfumed, violet note. The fact that they are high-grown (many of Mendoza's vineyards would, if resited in Wales, top Snowdon) means cool nights, lending their plum fruit a vivacious acid balance. They may find it hard to match the sweet, glossy seduction of Chile's top reds but in terms of extractive interest - an earthy, textured bass to balance out the melodic fruit line - the finest have few southern-hemisphere peers. With food, it is those earthy, chewy flavours that tend to lend ambitious red wines their dignity and grandeur.
Not all southern-hemisphere Malbecs are successful; weaker Argentinian examples rely too much on dry oak tannin rather than sweet grape tannin and the variety's high-yielding contentment under the Andean snows mean that some wines are hollow or lack those precious bass notes. Almost none have the mineral-metallic note of Cahors. And their pricing is amusingly inconsistent. In the blind tasting I organised for this article (joined by non-professional tasters), one of the most universally liked wines cost just £5.95 and the two top wines were both under £10, whereas the tasting included a number of wines at more than £15. (It should be noted that some of the most ambitious Argentine Malbecs are not yet available in the UK, including Michel Rolland's Val de Flores and Californian consultant Paul Hobbs' Cobos.)
The two producers who seem to have succeeded best with the variety share a Bordeaux background. Hervé Joyaux at Fabre-Montmayou was a former négociant for Ginestet, a man who was "seduced" by Mendoza Malbec into emigrating; he set about buying up old-vine parcels at a time when most were grubbing them up. The 2003 Fabre-Montmayou Malbec (Wine Society, tel: +44 (0)1438-740 222, £5.95) is unshowy but profoundly satisfying; I can't think of a better sub-£6 red than this beautifully bustling, beefy red with its brilliantly judged drinking balance, soft yet textured, its plum fruits gently modulating towards clean, liquorice-edged finish. To find a wine whose fruit is drawn from vines of more than 50 years old at this price is remarkable. The Fabre-Montmayou 2003 Gran Reserva Malbec (Wine Society, £7.95) is also shatteringly good value. It's a darker, leggier, more perfumed wine that shows some of that delicious yet elusive violet character on both nose and palate. There is more oak but it's seamlessly integrated and the tannic mass is splendid: ample yet soft and dimpled. The balance, purity and polish of this wine is world-class. Fabre Montmayou's main importer, Vinothentic (tel: +44 (0)20-7354 1994), has another Malbec cuvée at £8, from the 2004 vintage this time, which is dark, scented and brooding; it will evolve splendidly for a year or two.
Almost as good are the wines of Alta Vista, the winery originally established by Pomerol proprietor Jean-Michel Arcaute of Château Clinet and taken over after his premature death by the d'Aulan family. The 2003 Alta Vista Premium Malbec (Lay & Wheeler, tel: +44 (0)1473-313 233, £7.45) has a more aggressive style than Fabre Montmayou's pair but is a wine of remarkable dissolved energy. It's well worth making the step up, though, to the 2004 Alta Vista Grande Reserve Malbec Terroir Selection (Lay & Wheeler, £9.95): aromatically this is a more intriguing wine, its scents a typical combination of plums and moist coal; the palate brings blackcurrant and blackberry into the equation, backing them with suavely ample tannins. Again, the wine has enviable balance, weight and poise.
If you want to see the violet character of Malbec at its most exuberant, try the young-vine 2005 Ique from Enrique Foster (Private Cellar, tel: +44 (0)1353-721 999, £7.76): enticingly aromatic, this is like a kind of supercharged southern hemisphere Crozes-Hermitage. The 2003 Ruca Malen Malbec (Corney & Barrow, tel: +44 (0)20-7265 2400, £8.99) needs decanting but is dense, vigorous and complete. Weinert's 2000 Malbec (Sainsbury's, tel: +44 (0)800-636 262, £7.49) is savoury and moreish.
Argentina's leading producer, Trapiche, is taking Malbec laudably seriously and has produced three ambitious single-vineyard selections (www.longfordwines.co.uk, 2004 vintage from November, £18.99). All need less oak and denser, riper tannins but the intensity of their fruit is remarkable; my favourite is the 2004 Viña Carlos Gei Berra from Lunlunta, the most amply built of the three. The influential Nicolas Catena is also moving towards the creation of great Malbec and his company has carried out an ambitious clonal research programme. The 2003 Catena Alta Malbec (Bibendum, tel: +44 (0)20-7722 5577, £25.76), a blend of the company's top Malbec vineyards, is shapely and vivacious but with an over-assertive curranty streak to the finish. It's good wine - but vastly over-priced by comparison with the wines of Fabre-Montmayou and Alta Vista.
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