Faced by an array of Chilean wines in their neighborhood wine shop,
most consumers base their buying decisions on price and grape variety.
But a little learning will go a long way to steer you toward the best
wines on the shelf. Knowing which of Chile’s wine regions are best for
certain varieties or styles will help you pick winners, time after time.
And when it comes to Chilean terroir, nobody knows more about where
specific grapes grow best than Pedro Parra, Chile’s pre-eminent expert
in soil composition and the impact that climate has on the wines his
country produces.
Nicknamed the “Terroir Hunter,” Parra, who holds a Ph.D. in agronomy
and wine-specific terroir from the Institut National Agronomique de
Paris-Grignon, has conducted more than 20,000 soil studies, the majority
in his native Chile. Parra holds that Chile is blessed with diverse
terroirs that strongly influence the characters of its top wines.
Yet, these terroirs are not entirely unique to Chile, according to
Parra. He suggests that some of Chile’s best terroirs are similar to
those in some of the world’s most lauded wine regions.
“Take Chilean granite, and granite from Hermitage in France…the rocks
are about the same age, same color and have the same fractures,” says
Parra. “But the [Syrahs] from Chile and the northern Rhône are very
different. The climate is not the same, this is true, and there are
other differences. But without an understanding of Hermitage granite,
you might not understand how similar it is to Apalta in Colchagua.”
Likewise, “Without knowing the soils and climate along California’s
Sonoma Coast, you wouldn’t know that it’s almost exactly like the Leyda
Valley in Chile,” says Parra.
Following are overviews of four of Chile’s most prominent wine regions,
including a look at each region’s terroir and a dozen recommended wines
that capture the country at its finest.
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José Miguel Vi |
Colchagua Valley
The Colchagua Valley lies about 100 miles south of Santiago and runs
west from the Andes foothills to the Pacific Ocean. According to Parra,
Colchagua’s terroir is influenced by a warm, breezy, dry climate.
With vineyards planted from approximately 650 feet to 3,110 feet above
sea level, there are hot spots on the valley floor and cool pockets
higher up the hillsides.
“Soils are a mosaic of granite, volcanic, clay and schist,” says Parra.
Colchagua is often compared to California’s Napa Valley. Warm-weather
red varieties thrive here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and
Syrah, with some Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot thrown into the mix.
Closer to the Pacific, some wineries are growing Syrah in a cool, windy
area called Marchigue (pronounced mar-CHEE-way). Meanwhile, just miles
inland from the sea in a subzone called Paredones, a trio of wineries
(Casa Silva, Santa Helena and Koyle) is forging ahead with Sauvignon
Blanc. The wines are similar in style to those made in the Leyda and San
Antonio valleys to the north, although the Paredones wines are even
stronger in acidity.
Colchagua’s Apalta subzone, located on the north side of the Colchagua
Valley near the village of Cunaco, has already carved out a global
reputation. This horseshoe-shaped area, with southern, southwestern and
southeastern exposures, is a monster in terms of size, with more than
1,700 acres of vineyards shared by numerous wineries, including
Lapostolle, Montes, Ventisquero, Neyen and Santa Rita.
The terroir at Apalta, according to Parra, is defined by granite
bedrock, hillside plantings and southerly exposures that ensure optimal
ripeness. The best wines are a product of Apalta’s granitic soils and
the slightly cooler temperatures derived from exposition and altitude,
creating the quintessential marriage of stony minerality, raw power and
structured balance.
If the terroir is rocky and slightly cool in the Apalta hills, it’s another world on the valley floor.
Chile’s finest Malbecs—Viu 1 and a vineyard-designated bottling—hail
from Viu Manent’s San Carlos property. Unlike Apalta, the San Carlos
vineyard sits in flatlands atop deep, porous clay soils with excellent
drainage.
José Miguel Viu, managing director for his family’s winery, says San
Carlos, planted some 80 years ago, sings of Colchagua’s diversity.
“Like any great wine region throughout the world, there’s a human
factor in Colchagua,” says Viu. “We have an inspired group here that has
given our valley a dynamism and sense of community that doesn’t exist
elsewhere in Chile. On the other hand, the valley offers natural
conditions and diverse soils and climates that allow us to make wines
from many varieties, and in many styles.”