chile

PEDRO PARRA: SUPER RARE SUPERSTARS FROM ITATA

As you go down the wine road, you will continue to find stories that are more obscure and more unique. That doesn’t always mean ‘great’ from a wine perspective, but it certainly can as it did here. One has to marvel at the story of Pedro Parra, a minuscule producer in an obscure part of southern Chile who has become something of a cult hero based on his terroir-driven work with, of all things, Cinsault. Truth be told, these are two of the most impressive efforts with Cinsault we have ever run across, though admittedly the book of ‘great Cinsault’ is more of a pamphlet. His international reputation is pretty amazing as well considering he only makes about 100 cases of the two wines we are featuring today.

It all starts in the certainly-not-mainstream areas of Itata and Bio Bio about 500 kilometers south of Concepcion near the ocean. Pedro was born in this area and has returned here to live and create some waves in this obscure corner of Chile. One of Parra’s consistent quotes is, “You cannot grow terroir.” Terroir is a facilitator and Pedro, a specialist in the field, is particularly taken with the various forms of granite and schist here.

This is an area ‘lost in time.’ A difficult place to visit for centuries, with no roads, steep slopes, rain, and forest, that constant isolation was responsible for a strong local commitment to viticulture and wine. It was totally disconnected with the modern wine evolution that happened in Chile over the last 40 years. This isolation is the key factor for this terroir. No Bordeaux varieties invaded and no high yield production with irrigation was installed. That kept the area pure, pristine, and unique.

The two varieties most widely planted in Itata are Cinsault (45-70-year-old vines) and País (60 to 120-year-old vines). Pedro’s showcase wines, named for jazz musicians because they are ‘complex and innovative, are single-vineyard Cinsaults. For space reasons, we’ll defer to Wine Advocate reviews from Luis Gutierrez which cover technical notes as well.

The 2018 Pedro Parra y Familia Monk is “…another single-vineyard Cinsault, the 2018 Monk is also named after a jazz musician, Thelonius Monk…All of these wines had a native fermentation with some 30% full clusters, and in this case, the élevage was in 1,500-liter oak vats for just under one year. To me, this is the most complete of the three single-vineyard bottlings, and in a way, I see some similitude with the Imaginador bottling. It’s also the most elegant and mineral as well as serious, balanced, terribly precise and long. 1,170 bottles were filled in March 2019…94+ points.”

Pedro Parra considers John Coltrane an innovator and creative jazz musician, after whom he named the 2018 Pedro Parra y Familia Trane, a single-vineyard Cinsault from a plot of highly decomposed granite soils. It fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts and some 30% full clusters and matured in 1,500-liter oak vats for 11 months. It’s extremely chalky and perhaps a little rounder and gentler compared with its siblings. It has a little more concentration and clout, but at the same time, it doesn’t reach the elegance of the other two. There are some similitudes here, because they all come from granite soils that mark all of the wines very much. 1,188 (bottles) were filled in March 2019…93 points.”

Conceptually these are a bit of a walk on the wild side. But they are delicious, distinctive, extremely rare one-of-kind efforts that merit attention. We’ve certainly never seen Cinsault with this kind of flair. Geek alert.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN A SAUVIGNON BLANC

This might get a little confusing. But these days in the wine world people are broadening their traditional horizons in order to achieve distinctive quality. That can sometimes be an international effort, as it is here. This is a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, made by a French guy, with a French name on the label, fermented with specific Japanese sake yeasts. Of course there’s a story.

Viña Marty is named for owner/winemaker Pascal Marty. Pascal’s road to Chile went through a number of interesting and high profile stops along the way. After graduating from the Bordeaux Institute of Oenology in 1982, Pascal served as winemaker for Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Bordeaux, was later moved to California to work at Opus One, then was sent to Chile to work at the budding project between Baron Rothschild and Concha y Toro, Almaviva. That in itself is quite a resume. Vina Marty was born in 2008.

The story of this wine stems from a unique fermentation idea of using a specific Japanese yeast typically part of sake fermentation. This particular yeast strain allows fermentation to happen at lower temperatures than traditional yeasts used in winemaking, whuch further preserves the fruit character of the juice and somehow lends itself to a particular, unique clarity of flavor. According to the winery, only members of the Japanese sake guild are allowed access to this yeast, and they are permitted as the only non-Japanese member.

So what does that mean? Well, it isn’t necessarily a blatant difference you would notice if you didn’t know the story, but the results are intriguing. The aromatics are somehow brighter and cleaner, and there is a certainly an elevated aspect to the flavor profile. Super fresh, with an almost grain aspect along with more traditional citrus and dry tropical fruit notes. Also note that this yeast strain doesn’t get along with sulfur, that additions are minimal, which may serve to give this wine its very clean lines.

Bright and engaging, there’s no ‘green’ here either, just inviting fruit and a lifted feel on the palate. It got James Suckling’s attention as well. He wrote, “Fermented with a sake yeast selection, this has a fresh, lime and mango-pastry nose with a fluid, gently creamy palate. Fresh and balanced. Drink now…91 Points.”

It also boasts a 94 point score affixed to the bottle from a publication called ‘Descorchados’, essentially South America’s version of ‘Wine Spectator’. In the end, it’s a different approach that works, and has produced a delightful and well-priced version of this varietal that should find a appreciative audience.

AN EXCITING ‘REFUGE’ FROM HIGH PINOT NOIR PRICES

We said back in January, 2016, “We expect Chile to continue its breakout ways and surprise us with more ‘wait, that’s from Chile?’ type stuff…” The progress has been coming slowly, progressively, and unimpeded for a few years now. But it seemed like we started seeing some really ambitious new things coming along through the latter part of 2015. It was clear then that the Chileans are going through an ‘awakening’ of historic proportion. They are finding new terroirs and creating new projects, as well as rediscovering and reenergizing some of their longtime producing areas.

Definitely the biggest surprise in Chile has been Pinot Noir. Who knew? With over 2600 miles of coastline, it makes perfect sense that there would exist some unique spots in coastal valleys with mediating ocean influence in which Pinot would thrive. Folks think of Chile as Cabernet country, but the real excitement has been producers figuring out what to do with other varietals. Some of these breakout Chilean Pinot Noirs have been very compelling stories, though we still haven’t run across a more interesting tale than Montsecano.

The cast of characters is small, but interesting. Julio Donoso, who founded this estate, is a world famous photographer who had a passion to create a wine project from scratch. This he did by researching a number of different terroirs not far inland from the Chilean coast. He settled on a rather wild, unspoiled spot located near the town of Las These, in the commune of Casablanca. The narrow, winding road leading to the cellar speaks volumes about his Cordillera de la Costa. Here, 10 kilometers from the sea, there’s no power, steep slopes and poor granitic soils, an unattractive place to establish ‘conventional’ viticulture, but Montsecano is anything but.

Of course, by nature, photographers see things a little differently. Hence, against the advice of the locals, the not-particularly-conventional Donoso planted six hectares (about 15 acres) of Pinot Noir on steep, rocky hillsides in the Chilean version of ‘the middle-of-nowhere’. Who was going to make this Pinot? Well, Julio took the next ‘logical’ step by enlisting the services of one of Alsace’s greatest talents, Andre Ostertag, who is typically not as busy in France during Chile’s (opposite) growing season. The idea of working with reds intrigued Ostertag. Thus, a label was born.

Andre also directs the farming, which is done biodynamically, with plowing by horses. The cellar, which is unobtrusively wedged into a hillside, has no corners (it’s oval). The wines are made as naturally as possible in a facility that depends on natural power, and there is no oak involved as everything is done in stainless steel and concrete eggs. We featured this walk-on-the-wild-side project a couple of years ago and they have only improved in that time

These clearly delineated, expressive Pinot Noirs are considered by some among the best wines in South America. They are still not a household word around these parts because they don’t make a lot of wine and are brought in by a small, extremely passionate and knowledgeable importer who hasn’t had much time to ‘network’ yet. But here they are making news again with their Montsecano Pinot Noir Refugio Casablanca Valley 2017. This is a dark, powerful Pinot that, quite honest, takes a little while to open up, but has a remarkable density and purity of fruit to reward a little patience. Full bodied, plush, superbly balanced, this has a seamless, sweet core of mulberry are dark cherry fruit with subtle streaks of minerality. The original bottling we reviewed (2015) was a James Suckling 93, and so is this one.

But the energetic review by wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez kicks it up a notch, “The 2017 Refugio Pinot Noir shows a reductive personality that I love as well as some flinty notes, so decanting in advance could be a good idea… Ostertag’s son, Arthur, is now involved in the winemaking, and as a result, they made a lot of changes in 2017, such as including about 25% full clusters in the fermentation. They use no sulfur and no oak in the production of this wine, and it has some of the character from the full clusters. However, the palate is very relaxed and harmonious and also mineral, with plenty of finesse and perfectly ripe fruit without excess. This is subtle, elegant and simply amazing; it has depth yet is approachable and very drinkable. I love the style of this wine. I believe this is the best vintage they have ever produced. A real bargain. I’d buy this by the case...94 points.”

All of that and under $20? Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Chile’s Greatest Under the Radar Cabernet: Domus Aurea

As we have been singing for some time now, South America is almost all grown up. Back when we first started working with South American wines in earnest back in the early 90s, we could see that there was a lot of potential. A lot has happened since those times. If we were being completely honest, we probably couldn’t have predicted it would go this far. But it has. We have accepted it and have taken to the pulpit ourselves as we have seen some pretty amazing things coming out of South America. We have really seen an escalation in quality particularly over the last five years.

We can run through some of the big names. Catena, Clos Apalta, Caro, Sena, Almaviva, these are the banner carriers for the elite from South America. As with all wine programs, there was a process. First came the inspiration to ‘reach for the stars’. Then the producers had to learn the unique characteristics of the various vineyards in play. Vineyards don’t show you their stuff until they’re older, then you have to figure out if you have the right vines planted in the right spot. Wine growing and producing is a patient person’s game in an impatient world.

Finally there was the establishment of a style and consistency in the cellar. Sure, in all the cases, there was consistent high quality. But we can’t help but think that the wines had pretty serious international marketing behind them that helped the cause. Viña Quebrada de Macul Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon has been on our radar for quite a while as well, but is only now starting to get the attention it deserves.

We’ve had a soft spot for Domus Aurea, one of the boldest, most electric Cabernets produced anywhere in the world. It’s so distinctive, full of minerals, rocks, herbs, mint, dark berry, it’s kinda like the Chilean version of a great Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, but perhaps even richer and with more base notes. Sleek, powerful yet refined, ‘Chateau Pinhead’ as we call it (the quirky label looks like a stylized native getting acupuncture) moves in a sphere all its own.

We have a long history with this wine going back over at least a decade (the 2002 might be the first version we sold if memory serves), but the press didn’t really get this unique red until Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez took over the category with the 2008 vintage. He gave that wine a 94, and the trend has only gone up from there. The 2010 vintage, which we did an email offer on back in January, 2016, was considered their best effort to that time, getting a 96 point nod from Wine Advocate.

While the vintages in between have certainly been noteworthy, the 2014 Viña Quebrada de Macul Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon hit the same heights as the 2010. It is a spectacular effort packed with power, polished, and expressing its full array of gifts. Luis Gutierrez said the same thing, “2014 has to be one of the finest vintages at Quebrada de Macul, with wines that remind me of the 2010 vintage.”

Given his extensive narrative, Gutierrez makes our job easy this time around, “One of the best, most classical Cabernet Sauvignons from Maipo, the 2014 Domus Aurea contains some 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. This wine is always balanced and elegant. In a dry year like 2014, they think the key was sensitive irrigation without excess to keep the plant with enough water supply to get through the summer without stress. It comes from a plot of vines planted ungrafted in 1970 in the outskirts of Santiago, and it’s always vinified in a simple and traditional way; the wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts after a 12-day cold soak and aged for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 80% of them new…”

… 2014 is a great year for Domus; it has the notes of mint and eucalyptus, intermixed with hints of spices (cola nut and Jamaica pepper), and it’s quite aromatic, with cassis aromas and good ripeness. It has the Domus character, which is what they search for, as well as the wild character from the mountains and the stones, with that dry sensation and somewhat austere palate. It reminds me of the 2010, which was also a superb year and a textbook Cabernet from Macul. 24,491 bottles were filled in January 2016. This wine is always aged for a minimum of 18 months in bottle (often a lot longer) before it’s released…96 points.”

All we can add is that this is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, delicious and expressive Cabernet that is likely unlike anything you have. It’s a wild ride well worth taking, a real ‘sock knocker’particularly at our special insider price. Wine Advocate shows a $75 retail, but we’re rolling it at a special at the checkout price of $54.98.

THE PERFECT CABERNET?

It has been our mission to fight the high cost of ‘North Coast Cabernet’ because the ones with that nebulous title are rarely very exciting, and the ones that say Napa Valley on them are typically too expensive. One of our solutions to this issue is to put successful and well priced options from ‘other places’ in front of you for you consideration. We have stated that Chile and Argentina have really been finding their mojo over the last few years and this effort from one of the pioneers of the modern era in Chile definitely scored a gooooaaaaaal with this one.

The star of this story, Lapostolle, has now had nearly a quarter century to perfect their craft, and they are certainly working on a high plane right now. If you don’t know the story, it’s a classic tale of French people going to the New World to try and make magic. Lapostolle Wines was founded by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet in 1994. Alexandra is a member of the renowned family that has been dedicated for several generations to the production of high-quality spirits and wines (like Grand Marnier). After visiting Chile, Alexandra and Cyril not only fell in love with the Colchagua Valley, they also detected the enormous potential of the country to produce premium wines.

To that end they have been producing a number of different wines that showcase the region, none more interesting than their efforts with Bordeaux varietals, some of it brought here from Bordeaux in the 19^th Century (pre-phylloxera). They were one of the ‘true believers’ in Chile and when their super-premium Clos Apalta 1997, one of the first of its kind, there were plenty of nay-sayers. But the wine has now established unquestioned credibility (the 2013 was a 97 from James Suckling, the 2014 a ‘100’, for example). All the while the winery has benefited not only from the means and knowledge of its ownership, but an association with wine guru Michel Rolland.

The Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Alexandre Apalta 2013 definitely shows a ‘trickle down’ effect. It is plush and polished like something twice the price, with a sexy core of black fruits and notes of cocoa and graphite. The Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Alex Alexandre 2013 comes from the same Apalta vineyard as the ‘big dog’. The process here is very natural with minimal intervention. The grapes are 100% hand harvested in small cases of 14 kilos, there is strict fruit selection by state-of-the-art optical sorting and 15% hand de-stemming of the grapes. Gentle extraction methods and a judicious use of oak are key to making a wine that is ample, pure, and supple.

Having tasted several vintages of Lapostolle, we can honestly say that this is one of the best. Apparently we weren’t the only fans. James Suckling had this to say, “Deep and dense yet agile and fine. Full body, blueberry and black currant character, and a seamless silky finish. Gorgeous pure cabernet sauvignon. Biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold….94 ponts.” Note his comment on ‘purity’ alongside ours. In a world where reds are tasting ever more formulaic, this tastes like a really good, balanced Cabernet.

The best part is that, with all of the laborious handling, this delightful, plush, engaging Cabernet, with an extra bonus of being five years old, can be had for under $20! A delicious, honest, varietally true red at a great price, with a little bottle age and an impressive review, is this the ‘perfect Cabernet’ for ‘current applications’ or what?!