ChileFor orders and all enquiries, please contact:

Simon Taylor: simon@stonevine.co.uk Gordon Coates: gordon@stonevine.co.uk

Phil Hughes: phil@stonevine.co.uk

Telephone: 01962 712351 Fax: 01962 717545 Email: sales@stonevine.co.uk Website: www.stonevine.co.uk

No. 13 Humphrey Farms, Hazeley Road, Twyford, Hampshire, SO21 1QA

ChileI arrived in Chile in March just two weeks after the country was struck by a hugely powerful earthquake - 8.8 on the Richter scale - which killed over 500, destroyed thousands of buildings, caused a near complete black-out of the country, and left millions of litres of wine draining into the Chilean earth. Some advised against going, but I am glad I persisted. The Chileans’ independence, spirit and resilience was demonstrated so clearly by the way they picked themselves up, cleared away the debris, and got on with life. I saw remarkable things - winery buildings flattened, 20,000 litre stainless steel tanks ruptured and on their sides, barrel cellars in disorder - but heard no complaints and met only thanks for coming at such a time.

What’s the buzz in Chile? I would say that the current focus has slightly shifted from climate to “terroir”. There’s an understanding that the best wine in the future is usually not going to come from the flat valley floors of deep and rich alluvial soils, but rather the slopes of hills and mountains; and if not the slopes themselves, at least near the base, where colluvial wash has brought down rock and pebbles from the mountains. French-trained Chilean agronomist Pedro Parra, one of the few terroir consultants in the world, has become an important figure, advising many estates on what best to plant where and how to get the best out of their land. Aspects of the hunt to acknowledge and express “terroir” I witnessed were: the studious matching of variety to site that went on recently at Viña Santa Cruz; the experiments with managing the vineyards to give ripeness without high alcohol at Viña Maquis; and, at several of the estates I visited, the “calicatas”, deep holes in the vineyards dug to examine cross-sections of the soils and subsoils.

As to the relative position of grape varieties: in whites, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc continue to improve as more vineyards come on stream in cooler coastal sites from Limarí to Casablanca and Leyda - although we have sourced an excellent Viognier and probably the first pure Roussanne to come out of Chile. Among the reds, the winners are Cabernet Sauvignon, still the dominant red grape, Pinot Noir and Carmenère. Adolfo Hurtado of Cono Sur, Pinot Noir specialists, described the best Chilean style of Pinot as being “like a black cherry - ripe, juicy and fresh”. We agree! Carmenère (see the box on p. ) is increasingly superb, more suited to the Chilean climate and so much more interesting than Chilean Merlot. Syrah plantings are rising enormously, but at the moment so many of the wines from young vines are a little anonymous.

Finally, whilst we don’t usually analyse vintages in the New World in detail, a special mention must be given to reds from the 2007 vintage. As Peter Richards wrote in Decanter magazine (June 2009), “The 2007 vintage in Chile was spectacular for red wine”. The season was cool, ensuring low yields and a delayed harvest; giving wines (especially from the warmer zones such as Aconcagua and Colchagua) with both very pure fruit and finesse. Francisco Baettig, winemaker at Errázuriz, called the wines “elegant, fresh and intense”. With perfect balance, natural acidity and ripe tannins these wines will keep very well too - do lay some down (and you could always start with the Triumphant 2007s case below!)

Simon Taylor September 2010

Mixed CasesEach mixed case comes with a discount of at least 7.5%

CH110 Chilean Pillars £74.00Two bottles each of two whites, one rosé and three reds

2009 Emiliana Chardonnay (p.8) 2010 Anakena, Sauvignon Blanc (p.8) 2010 Viña Maquis, Calcu Rosé (p.7) 2009 Concha y Toro, Explorer Pinot Noir (p.5) 2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Blend C (p.6) 2009 Anakena, Carmenère (p.8)

CH210 The New Chile £93.00Twelve different bottles, 1 sparkling, 5 white, 5 red, and a half bottle of sweet wine, celebrating the diversity in Chile today

2009 Tabalí, Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Especial (p.3) 2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection Sauvignon Blanc (p.4) NV Viña Casablanca, Blanc de Blancs Brut (p.5) 2009 Anakena, Indo Chardonnay (p.5) 2008 Errázuriz Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest [half bottle] (p.5) 2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection Roussanne (p.6) 2009 Anakena, Single Vineyard Viognier (p.8) 2009 Tabalí, Carmenère Reserva (p.3) 2007 Tabalí, Syrah, Reserva Especial (p.3) 2009 Anakena, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir (p.4) 2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Blend C (p.6) 2009 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère (p.7)

CH310 Chilean Terroirs £111.00Two bottles each of three whites and three reds

2009 Tabalí, Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Especial (p.3) 2009 Errázuriz, Wild Ferment Chardonnay (p.5) 2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection Roussanne (p.6) 2009 Anakena, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir (p.4) 2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Gran Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon (p.7) 2008 Kuyen (p.8)

CH410 Triumphant 2007s £164.00Two bottles each of six reds, all from the splendid 2007 vintage

2007 Tabalí, Syrah, Reserva Especial (p.3) 2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Gran Reserva, Carmenère (p.7) 2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Tupu (p.7) 2007 Viña Maquis, Futa Calcu (p.7) 2007 Viña Cono Sur, Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon (p.8) 2007 Antiyal (p.8)

See also the Celebration of Carmenère case on p.7

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Limarí ValleyUntil Elqui was planted in the late 1990s, the Limarí Valley was the northernmost wine producing region in Chile. Climatic conditions are marked by: extreme aridity - only about 4 inches of rain a year, and therefore there is total reliance on irrigation, which might be limiting in time; and a big diurnal change of temperature. However, as the valley is wholly open to the sea, maritime influence is perhaps even stronger: giving an early bud-break and a long growing season, ideal for aromatics in grapes. A common daily pattern (experienced on the day of my visit) is initially a thick sea fog, the Camanchaca, bringing dew; followed by the sun breaking through; and then a cooling sea-breeze which is drawn in most days as warmer air rises inland.

Tabalí, Limarí ValleyTabalí (meaning “house of stone” in Quechua, the language of the Andean people of north Chile and Peru) was founded as a joint venture between the San Pedro group and the first vine growers in the valley in the early 1990s. This has given them a key advantage in that many of their vines are relatively old by Chilean standards, largely grown on a low plateau above the river. Investment, mainly from Guillermo Luksic, has made this one of the most dynamic estates in the country, symbolised by the airy architecture of its open-sided winery.

Most important, Felipe Müller, who arrived with the 2007 vintage, is now really coming into his own, and his skill was recognised in the award of Winemaker of the Year in the 2010 Guía de Vinos de Chile. In 2009 he was offered fruit from the nearby Fray Jorge vineyard only 9 kilometres from the Pacific. When Felipe went over to inspect the fruit he was knocked out to see Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir vines growing on very calcareous marine limestone full of fossils. He didn’t just buy the fruit but initiated the process of acquiring the vineyard: this is the source of the Reserva Especial Sauvignon Blanc below, a stunning example of the new-style Chilean Sauvignons from coastal vineyards.

Felipe’s touch with Chardonnay is sure. The Reserva has now become an unoaked style, whilst the Reserva Especial is splendid, both fat and mineral. The Carmenère is very distinctive here: whilst the leafy character of the grape is present Felipe achieves full ripeness in this coolish region by picking in June!

2009 Tabalí, Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Especial, Limarí Valley, 13.5º [Screwcap] Bottle £8.75 Case £99.75 Code TAB209 Mouthwateringly juicy, finely textured, elegant Sauvignon very much in a food-friendly Loire idiom - a Chilean Pouilly-Fumé? 93/100 in the 2010 Deschorchados Chilean wine guide, the equal third best Chilean Sauvignon Blanc rated. Now-2012

2009 Tabalí, Chardonnay Reserva, Limarí Valley, 14º [Screwcap]Bottle £7.95 Case £90.63 Code TAB109 The Reserva Chardonnay here has changed to become an unoaked style of great freshness and purity. Lively scent of limeflower with a hint of pine resin. Ripe lime with zippy acidity, very correct, and finishes crisp and dry. Now-2012

2009 Tabalí, Chardonnay Reserva Especial, Limarí Valley, 13.5ºBottle £10.50 Case £119.70 Code TAB309From fruit grown on mineral-rich, gravelly, alluvial terraces; barrel-fermented and given 10 months in French oak. Cream and tangerine perfume. A full-flavoured, very ripe palate, with that same tangerine accent. Pure and minerally. A sort of Chilean Rully? Very classy wine. Now-2013

2009 Tabalí, Carmenère Reserva, Limarí Valley, 14º Bottle £8.75 Case £99.75 Code TAB609Deep purple. Scent of currant leaf. Autumnal fruit, not sweet, very smooth, with a dry, mineral finish. Would one guess this was a New World wine? Intriguing. Now-2012

2009 Tabalí, Pinot Noir, Reserva Especial, Limarí Valley, 13.5ºBottle £9.95 Case £113.43 Code TAB709Fermented in stainless steel but then given 12 months in French oak, this shows plenty of vanilla and light toast now, but this is crafted in a pure, light and elegant style, with very pretty black cherry character. Supple and balanced. Really appealing Pinot aromatics with a coffee twist. Would appeal to Burgundy lovers as much as New World Pinot fans. Now-2012

2007 Tabalí, Syrah, Reserva Especial, Limarí Valley, 14.5º Bottle £11.50 Case £131.10 Code TAB807 Magnum £26.75 Case (6 x Magnums) £152.48 Code TAB907The first vintage of this - and already outstanding. 12 months in French oak, 70% new. Aromas of cassis with roasted notes (akin to Hermitage), followed by a concentrated, suave palate of blackcurrants with spice and a hint of tar. Great keeping potential: this is the sort of coolish climate example which is carving out a definite identity for Chilean Syrah. Now-2015

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AconcaguaThe Aconcagua Valley, lying north of Santiago and with vineyards largely to the east of the Pan American highway, is the smallest of the traditional wine regions of Chile. Its fame rests on its red wines - over 80% of the vines in the valley are red - although new coastal vineyards are showing promise for whites.

Inland, this is a hot, dry zone - rain only really falls in winter. A warm spring induces early bud-break with little risk of frost. The summer heat is leavened by some fresh air in the early mornings from the Andes, and then a switch to strong westerly breezes which spring up like clockwork every afternoon and bring in cooler air from the ocean. A long dry autumn follows, giving the grapes here exceptionally long hang time and really intense flavours.

Vina Errázuriz, PanquehueErrázuriz is one of Chile’s historic wineries, established at Panquehue in 1870 by Don Maximiano Errázuriz, against the prevailing trend of planting to the south of Santiago in Maipo. It became the largest vineyard in the world owned by a single family, but it was sold after the Great War and shrank in the twentieth century until it was purchased in 1981 by Alfonso Chadwick, and thereby effectively returned to family ownership, as Alfonso’s mother was an Errázuriz. Now under the exacting stewardship of Alfonso’s son Eduardo, and with the brilliant, well travelled Francisco Baettig as winemaker, it has become the very model of a forward-looking, dynamic Chilean estate, the seventh largest Chilean wine exporter.

We focus at Errázuriz on the wide selection of beautifully crafted, suave, premium wines, with Carmenère and Cabernet from the vineyards near the estate in Aconcagua; and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc from cooler Casablanca - see opposite. Kai, the estate’s Icon Carmenère, appears in our list for the first time. We have tasted this wine since it was launched with the 2005 vintage. The 2007 is an extraordinary wine, in our opinion certainly superior to the 2006 vintage, which was scored at 97/100 in the Wine Advocate, and came top in a blind tasting in May in New York against other top Cabernet-based wines of the 2006 vintage, including Lafite, Haut-Brion, Sassicaia and Opus One.

2008 Errázuriz, Single Vineyard Carmenère, Aconcagua Valley, 14.5ºBottle £14.95 Case £170.43 Code ERR208From the Max V vineyard in Aconcagua; aged in French with some US oak, 60% new; includes 6% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep and opaque. Blackcurrant scent, with that Carmenère green pepper note. More classically styled than previous vintages, with the blackcurrant and redcurrant fruit flavoured with smoke, coffee and tobacco. Gorgeously smooth, fine oak balance, good grip, and cassis on the finish. Now-2014

2006 Errázuriz, Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve, Aconcagua Valley, 14.5° Bottle £28.95 Case £330.03 Code ERR606This came fourth out of twelve (in a line-up including Margaux, Latour and Lafite 2005) in a May 2009 blind tasting in London of top Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines. This vintage includes 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Shiraz. Very deep hued. Cassis and mint with hints of spice and leather. Very pure cassis core, given mocha and malted hints. Suave texture. Splendidly open and lush. “Aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense, and blackcurrant are reminiscent of a classified growth Pauillac. Medium- to full-bodied in the mouth, the wine has a plush texture, plenty of ripe tannin, layers of spicy fruit, and outstanding concentration. This impeccably balanced wine will benefit from 5-7 years of additional cellaring and have a prime drinking window extending from 2015 to 2031. 94/100”, The Wine Advocate, June 2009. Now-2018

2007 Errázuriz, Kai Carmenère, Aconcagua Valley, 14.5º Bottle £55.00 Case £627.00 Code ERR307Includes 7% of each of Petit Verdot and Syrah; and given 18 months in French barrels, almost all new. Extravagantly purple. Dramatic aromas of crushed black fruit, black pepper, cigar box and coffee. Intense bittersweet black fruit, excitingly fresh and juicy. Velvety tannins. Splendid spice aromatics. Very long, with pure black fruit on the finish. Approachable now, but best 2011-2018

LeydaLeyda, a sub-region of San Antonio, a coastal zone with vineyards across rolling hills lying just south of Casablanca, is currently viewed as perhaps the single most exciting spot within Chile for cool-climate varieties. Though Chardonnay is the most planted variety here, we believe this may become Chile’s “Marlborough” for Sauvignon Blanc; and Pinot Noir excels here too.

2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda, 14º [Screwcap] Bottle £8.95 Case £102.03 Code LFE609Intense, intriguing aromas: gooseberry, smoke and minerals. Powerful, vigorous style, based on green fruits, greengage and green fig, very crisp and pungent. A Chilean take on a really mineral SB, akin to Kiwi wines from one of the Marlborough sub-zones such as Wairau or Awatere. “Pea pod and asparagus lead on the nose, with nice lemony fruit on show as well. This is a very solid production with mouthfilling flavours. Textured and grassy with some grapefruit and pineapple too. Rounded, polished and wonderfully refreshing this ticks all the boxes ****”, Decanter magazine, Chile 2009, Coastal Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Now-2012

Anakena - see back cover

2009 Anakena, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Leyda, 13.5º [Screwcap] Bottle £8.95 Case £102.03 Code ANA909A new wine at this estate, sourced from the estate’s own vineyards in Leyda. All in old barrels. Scent of red cherries, with an authentic Pinot mushroom note. Sumptuous, beautifully textured wine, red-fruited with fine acidity; and finishes with a perfumed flourish. This is supple, early maturing, expressive Pinot Noir, a bit like an old-fashioned Burgundy: a Kiwi-killer at this price! Now-2012

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Casablanca ValleyIt’s hard to believe that only a generation ago there was only grazing and fruit in the Casablanca Valley, but it’s true. In 1982 Pablo Morandé, the winemaker at Concha y Toro, first planted Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, reasoning correctly that the valley was perfect for cooler climate whites. The first sight of the resultant wines in the late 1980s prompted a wave of planting, curtailed recently only by a shortage of water. As there is no river in the valley and all irrigation is from artesian wells, one can now only plant if water rights have already been acquired. It will therefore remain a small area of production, comprising less than 5% of all Chilean vineyards.

As the valley is open to the Pacific - no coastal range here - it benefits from thick maritime fogs, which can remain overhead until the afternoon, and chilly winds off the ocean. (The only problem is frost, which can strike devastatingly right into November). This makes it a great region for whites, and over 2/3 of the vineyards here are planted to white grapes, especially Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but it is also among the best sites in Chile for Pinot Noir. We mainly list wines from Casablanca vineyards produced by estates based elsewhere in Chile.

Viña Casablanca, CasablancaViña Casablanca has 55 hectares of vineyards in Casablanca, mainly very near the ocean. It’s still early days for sparkling wine production in Chile, but with its excellent record with cool-climate varieties, this is a promising source.

NV Viña Casablanca, Blanc de Blancs Brut, Casablanca, 13°Bottle £8.95 Case £102.03 Code CSB1NVFrom 92% Chardonnay with 8% Chenin Blanc, this offers a biscuit nose, and a tasty, dry palate of pears, ripe apples and cream. This isn’t complicated, but refreshing, wholly clean and enjoyable. Now-2011

Anakena - see back cover

2009 Anakena, Indo Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, 13° [Screwcap]Bottle £7.25 Case £82.65 Code ANA209Carefully crafted: about a third is barrel fermented - which just gives some roundness - the malolactic is stopped, and then all is left on its lees in tank. Cream and pineapple aromas. Fresh, very ripe, well-textured Chardonnay showing generous melon and pineapple fruit. A crowd-pleaser. Now-2011

Concha y ToroConcha y Toro, with roots in Chile dating back to 1883, is a huge enterprise - one of the 15 largest wine businesses in the world. A particular strength is Pinot Noir: its subsidiary, Cono Sur started a Pinot Noir project in 1999, aided by consultancy from Burgundian Martin Prieur and investment in a whole winery just for Pinot. The linked estates are now one of the largest Pinot Noir producers in the world.

2009 Concha y Toro, Explorer Pinot Noir, Casablanca, 13.5°Bottle £7.25 Case £82.65 Code CON309Bright cherry hue. Fragrant: red fruit, violets and hint of cedar. Light, supple, easy-drinking style full of strawberries and redcurrants. Honest wine. Now-2012

Vina Errázuriz - see opposite

2009 Errázuriz, Wild Ferment Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, 13.5° [Screwcap] Bottle £10.25 Case £116.85 Code ERR809Francisco Baettig has been gradually moving this wine towards a slightly fresher style, so he only permitted 33% malolactic fermentation in this vintage, and only 10% of the wine went into new French barrels as opposed to older. 12 months on its lees helps develop weight and complexity. Mid yellow. Yeasty aromas, alongside classy, well-judged oak. Very full and intensely fruited - citrussy, hinting at tangerine - with attractive toast, oatmeal and honeyed nuances. Opens out impressively on the palate. Very much in a Burgundian idiom. Now-2013

2008 Errázuriz, Wild Ferment Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley, 14° [Screwcap] Bottle £10.95 Case £124.83 Code ERR408

This is a wine which improves with every vintage: the increasing age of the vines, planted in 1996, helps. Deep tone. Rich Morello cherry aromas with smoky oak. Velvety, lush cocktail of black cherry, and mulberry. Very ripe black fruit - distinctly New World - but offering admirable depth and concentration, and with fine acidity for keeping. Now-2012

2008 Errázuriz Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest, Casablanca, 11.5°Half bottle £7.25 Case (12 x 37.5cl.) £82.65 Code ERR508

From 85% Sauvignon Blanc, with 10% Gewürztraminer and 5% Semillón: the Sauvignon Blanc picked between late May and mid July! About a third was barrel fermented and matured in old oak. Intensely sweet attack, lemon sherberty, with zip and perfume. About 100 grams residual sugar, and still fresh. Now-2013

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Luis Felipe Edwards, PuquillayAfter flying half-way round the world, and taking extensive diversions (the earthquake brought down many bridges, and Santa Cruz was hard hit) to seek out this Chilean winery, it was a bit disconcerting to be stopped by the guard at the gate here - he had no record of my appointment. Thank goodness I persisted, because the wines here are really exciting, and winemaker Nicolás Bizzari, when roused, gave me an amazing tour of the new hillside vineyards. From the winery on the valley floor, tucked into a fold of the mountains, we drove nearly 2,000 feet up to walk over the 100 hectares of vines his father-in-law’s family have planted over rolling hills. These, which must represent one of the most ambitious vineyard projects anywhere in the world, are some of the most beautiful vineyards you will ever see, with the snowy peaks of the Andes in the background.

This is a big estate, but family owned, and highly enterprising. As Nicolás pointed out, a lot of the innovation within Chile is coming from big businesses, not boutique wineries: as evidence, we offer a splendid Sauvignon Blanc from coastal Leyda (see p.4); and the fabulous Roussanne listed below. (We think this is the first pure Roussanne to come out of Chile - a reward for going out there to seek it out!). We also mentioned that whilst it was easy to find good value varietals within Chile (an example being the estate’s excellent Cabernet listed below) there weren’t enough red blends: so, after a brief discussion as to what we wanted - a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine with Carmenère - the family put together a couple of blends for us to taste, and we chose Blend C, which we believe should be a staple in every household.

2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection Roussanne, Colchagua, 14° [Screwcap]Bottle £9.50 Case £108.30 Code LFE809Sourced from the family’s vineyards in Lolol towards the Pacific, and part aged in tank, part in 3-4 year old barrels. Deep tone. Scent of apricots and nectarines. Intensely flavoured, creamy and full-bodied, the core of stone fruit is tempered by hints of almonds, honey, fig and even liquorice. A powerful, complex white: would cost half as much again from France! Now-2012

2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Blend C, Colchagua, 14° Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code LFE109From 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Carmenère and 15% Merlot, and named Blend C for its two principal constituents plus Chile itself. Attractive blueberry, black cherry and menthol aromas; followed by a ripe mouthful of juicily sharp black fruit with clove and spice. Very polished, this will make a lot of friends. Now-2012

Colchagua ValleyThis wine region stretches from the Andes almost to the ocean, so it is hard to generalise about climate here. The western areas nearer the sea such as Marchihue and Lolol have potential for a wide range of grape varieties, but the heartland, in particular around Santa Cruz and Apalta, is land for big reds, and in particular for Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and that Chilean speciality, Carmenère.

2009 Luis Felipe Edwards, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Colchagua, 14° Bottle £7.50 Case £85.50 Code LFE309Youthful hue. Pretty perfume of strawberry and cassis. Soft, blackcurranty, just a little of that typical minty note so often found in Chilean Cabernet. Attractive juiciness. Textbook example. Now-2012

Viña Santa Cruz, Santa CruzViña Santa Cruz is the creation of Carlos Cardoen, part of a huge investment in tourism in the region - from hotels to trains to museums - as this hugely successful entrepreneur has sought to put money back into the town of his birth. To the original 70 hectares of vines on the farm, which lies half way between Santa Cruz and Lolol, he has added a further 80 set around the colonial-style winery.

This is a very focussed project: only red grapes are grown, all carefully matched to different sites (there’s 2 weeks difference in the date of harvest between the coolest and hottest spots); only the best third of the grapes are kept for the estate, the rest being sold; and, unusually for a Chilean winery, half their wine is sold in the domestic market. As the vineyards are to the west of the Colchagua valley, cooling sea breezes bring finesse to the wines. Chamán means shaman, the wise man of proto-magical powers of the pre-Hispanic peoples of the Americas.

We look on Santa Cruz as being Carmenère specialists: the grape thrives in Colchagua. However, all the wines have a definite house style: juicy and open, but with an Old World style underpinning of acid and tannin. The first vintage here was only in 2004, and we are delighted to be the estate’s first UK importers.

2009 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Reserva, Carmenère/Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, 13.5° Bottle £8.25 Case £94.05 Code SAN109Halves of the varieties, with about a third given three months in old barrels. Deep purple hue. Aromas of red fruit with a hint of green pepper. Supple, red-fruited, with the Carmenère bringing spice, herbal notes and considerable refinement. Very food-friendly. Now-2012

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2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Gran Reserva, Carmenère, Colchagua Valley, 14° Bottle £10.75 Case £122.55 Code SAN307Half of this wine, which includes 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, is given a year in older French barrels. Lovely raspberry scent; and that appealingly ripe raspberry fruit is dominant. Mid-weight, lightly spiced and uncomplicated - a crowd-pleasing Carmenère. Now-2013.

2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Gran Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, 14° Bottle £10.75 Case £122.55 Code SAN407Includes 12% Carmenère. Open scent of cassis. Generously flavoured, all ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with hints of earth and menthol. Ripe tannic backbone. Tang of blackcurrants on a long and spicy finish. Now-2013

2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Tupu, Colchagua Valley, 14.5° Bottle £15.95 Case £181.83 Code SAN607The estate’s top wine, a blend of 29% Carmenère, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah and 17% Malbec; after eight months in French barrels, largely new, the final blend was made, and was given a further six months in first fill barrels. Wonderful lifted scent - violets, blackcurrants and cinnamon oak. So supple and enticing, all ripe raspberries, perfectly fresh. Svelte tannins. Coffee touches from the barrel ageing. Fine, aromatic finish. 92/100 in 2010 Deschorchados, the Chilean wine guide, the second equal highest score for any wine from Colchagua. Now-2015

Viña Maquis, PalmillaThe wines of Viña Maquis, which lies just north-west of Santa Cruz, are fascinatingly distinctive. The aim here - guided by French viticulturist consultant Xavier Choné, and winemaker/boss Ricardo Rivadeneira - is to manage the vineyards to produce grapes of perfect ripeness but with lower alcohol levels than the norm in Chile. Using this fruit they seek to make wines with refinement rather than simply concentration and power. Most of the vineyards lie between two rivers, the Chimborango and Tinguirica, which moderate the temperatures here.

Not all the wines we tasted were wholly successful - some were too herbaceous - but these two really shone. We couldn’t resist the rosé, from Malbec and Syrah and a little Petit Verdot, just so juicy and lively. From three red blends we preferred a new wine, a remarkably refined oaked blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 25% Carmenère, 15% Petit Verdot and 15% Malbec. Ricardo mentioned that one of the retired vineyard workers, when asked what variety had been most successful a generation ago, said it was “Cabernet Franco”, i.e. Cabernet Franc.

CarmenèreThis obscure Bordeaux variety was only identified in Chilean vineyards by a French ampelographer, Jean-Michel Boursiquot, in 1994. Once growers distinguished the vine from Merlot, they could give it different viticultural attention: for example Carmenère benefits from careful canopy management and ripens three weeks after Merlot. (It’s often picked in May, the equivalent of November in the northern hemisphere). Carmenère isn’t the national grape of Chile, as Malbec is for Argentina: rather its status is akin to that of Zinfandel in California - making up just one element in the local viticultural tapestry, but at the same time uniquely successful. Wines from this grape seem to be getting better and better, combining intense red fruit with a touch of leafiness and an attractive smokey hint. It’s very food friendly too, excellent with robust and spicy foods. We offer no less than eight wines where Carmenère is either dominant or makes up the largest single component in a blend. If you want to experience the full panoply of flavours from this splendidly distinctive grape, do try this mixed case, with a discount of just over 10%.

CH510 Celebration of Carmenère case £111.50Three bottles of each of the four reds

2009 Tabalí, Carmenère Reserva (p.3) 2008 Errázuriz, Single Vineyard Carmenère (p.4) 2007 Viña Santa Cruz, Chamán Gran Reserva, Carmenère (p.7) 2009 Anakena, Carmenère (p.8)

2010 Viña Maquis, Calcu Rosé, Colchagua Valley, 12° [Screwcap]Bottle £7.75 Case £88.35 Code MAQ510Pale salmon. Enticing scent of blackcurrant leaf. Very ripe attack - a juicy gush of red cherries and watermelon. Lively and refreshing. A terrific rosé, perhaps showing the French influence at this estate. Now-2011

2007 Viña Maquis, Futa Calcu, Colchagua Valley, 14° Bottle £14.25 Case £162.45 Code MAQ307Lively strawberry scents little prepare one for the profound, darkly ripe, dense but perfumed palate. Merest hint of leafiness. Lovely blackcurrant on the finish. Splendid, complex wine with good keeping potential too. Now-2014

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Valle Central, Rapel Valley, Cachapoal and MaipoValle Central is a catch-all name, for vineyards over a large geographic span from Maipo in the north to Maule in the south; enabling winemakers to blend good value wines from widely sourced grapes. Within this the Rapel Valley name embraces the two sub-zones of Colchagua and Cachapoal. Whilst Cachapoal is best suited to red grapes, in Alto Cachapoal, and especially around Requínoa, up against the Andes to the east, cool downdrafts from the mountains relieve summer temperatures and permit excellent results with white grapes too. Maipo is where quality wine production began in Chile, in the nineteenth century, usually with Bordeaux varieties. The region proved superb for reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, which benefited from a long growing season and thrived in the well-drained soils.

Viñedos EmilianaEmiliana are leading the way towards fielding a complete range of wines from organically farmed grapes: even these two entry level wines, whilst not organic, are from grapes carefully and sustainably farmed.

2009 Emiliana Chardonnay, Valle Central, 13.5° [Screwcap]Bottle £5.50 Case £62.70 Code EMI109Mid lemon. Lightly butterscotch aroma. Melon fruit, mid-weight. Well-made, lightly oaked Chardonnay with decent intensity and length. The 2010 vintage will follow. Now-2011

2009 Emiliana, Merlot, Rapel Valley, 13.5° [Screwcap] Bottle £5.40 Case £61.56 Code EMI609Ruby tone. Gently brambly scent with a hint of smoke. Ripe, juicy, and curranty. Lively, but soft enough to drink on its own. Now-2011

Anakena, RequínoaAnakena is another of those dynamic, forward-looking, mid-sized Chilean wineries which have purchased vineyards all over Chile, and it’s exciting to taste there as a result: we have wines from Leyda and Casblanca listed on pp.2-3. Founded by two old schoolfriends, Felipe Ibañez and Jorge Gutiérrez, who began planting vines in 1998, it was named after a beach on Chile’s remote Easter Island. The winery is at Requinoa in Alto Cachapoal, with vineyards there benefiting from cool air coming down from the high Andes.

This year we continue with their excellent value Sauvignon Blanc, which is largely sourced from the vineyards around the winery, but also includes fruit from the Curico Valley, hence Central Valley on the label. We also return to a former favourite, the lightly oaked Viognier, a speciality at Anakena, and their Carmenère, a textbook example.

2010 Anakena, Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley, 13° [Screwcap] Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code ANA110Fresh in, and showing an exotic perfume of fresh pineapple and passion fruit. That tropical character is dominant on the palate too, with guava showing too. As ever, so fruity and charming, but there’s a bit of stoniness on the finish too. So good at the price. Now-2012

2009 Anakena, Single Vineyard Viognier, Rapel Valley, 13.5° [Screwcap] Bottle £8.50 Case £96.90 Code ANA409About 25% of the wine is barrel-fermented. Aromas of peach, pineapple, honey and fresh grapes. Mid weight, showing the attractive texture of the grape, this displays plentiful ripe peach and apricot flavours. Appealingly fresh too. An excellent example. Now-2011

2008 Anakena, Ona, Assemblage, 13.5° Bottle £9.95 Case £113.43 Code ANA708A lightly oaked blend of thirds of Riesling and Viognier from Rapel with Chardonnay from Casablanca. Perfume of ripe apricot and pineapple. On the palate the white peach of the Viognier vies with the sherbert lime of the Riesling, backed by a subtle toasty oak note. Engagingly different. Now-2011. Limited stock

2009 Anakena, Carmenère, Rapel Valley, 13° [Screwcap] Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code ANA809Unoaked. Deep colour. Scent of spiced plums. Smooth blackberry tone, with notes of coffee, tobacco leaf and beef extract, and just a little structure. This is surprisingly Bordeaux-like and highly successful. Now-2012

Viña Cono SurCono Sur’s principal winery is in Chimborango, but it owns and is continuing to buy vineyards all over Chile. This wine is crafted by Ignacio Recabarren from grapes grown at Pirque in Alto Maipo, considered among the best and most historic terroirs in the country for Cabernet.

2007 Viña Cono Sur, Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon, Pirque, Maipo, 13.5°Bottle £13.75 Case £156.75 Code CON407Distinguished cedar and cassis aromas. Delectably silky and refined, with superfine tannins, and the bittersweet blackcurrant mid-palate garnished with fascinating aromatics of black chocolate, tobacco and spice. Ambition fully realised here, splendid wine. 93/100 in 2010 Deschorchados, the Chilean wine guide, the third equal highest score for any Chilean Cabernet rated. Now-2014

Antiyal, BuinAlvaro Espinoza at Antiyal is a living legend - the single best known Chilean winemaker: at Carmen he was the first in Chile to knowingly bottle a pure Carmenère; he is consultant to numerous top Chilean wineries, including Viñedos Organicos Emiliana above; a champion of organic and bio-dynamic viticulture; and recipient of numerous awards and recognition internationally. Despite this fame he’s an amazingly laid-back guy: he was pouring bottles of his own wines at his home in Alto Jahuel to a group from Santiago when I arrived. I was therefore fortunate to be able to taste his 1998 Antiyal, his first vintage, still young and vital, showing rich, autumnal, brambly fruit with coffee and savoury accents.

Alvaro’s production is tiny, made from vineyards in Isla de Maipo owned by himself and his wife Marina Ashton, farmed bio-dynamically. (I was able to admire his llamas, which contribute manure to the plots). Kuyen (which is “Moon” translated from the language of the Mapuche, the native inhabitants of Chile) is a blend of about half Syrah, a third Cabernet Sauvignon with Carmenère, given a year in barrel. There’s only about 600 cases of Antiyal (“Sons of the Sun”) each vintage, 52% Carmenère, 25% Syrah and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon: this is one of Chile’s top blends, and superb in the great 2007 vintage.

2008 Antiyal, Kuyen, Maipo, 14.5° Bottle £13.50 Case £153.90 Code KUY108Charming perfume of fresh berries; and that juicy, red-fruited character is to the fore, all raspberry and redcurrant, with decent tannic grip and spicy aromatics - cinnamon and nutmeg. Still very young, best 2011-2014

2007 Antiyal, Maipo, 14.5° Bottle £25.00 Case £285.00 Code ANT107Opaque. Terrific scent of cassis. Very ripe, vivid black fruit, marked by black pepper, supported by fine, silky tannins. Huge fruit but light and fine at the same time. Great potential. Late 2010-2017