Meet Jose Luis Martin-Bouquillard. Jose Luis, like his wine, is a bit of a rarity in the Mondo Vino. He sports a pretty impressive resume that includes a stint as a winemaker at the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy owned Champagne house Veuve Clicquot. He was also involved in the LVMH acquisition of Cloudy Bay, and was a VP at Pernod Ricard where he worked on many interesting projects in Chile. He is knowledgeable, intelligent, and most importantly, he is a good winemaker. So what is so rare? Unlike many of his peers, Mr. Martin-Bouquillard is completley humble and a perfect gentleman. Did I mention he’s French?
David vs. Goliath
Jose Luis is one of the founding members of the Chilean micro-producer group MOVI, whom we have had the delightful opportunity to meet and share wine with many times. A group of independent winemakers who have broken the chains of large mega corporate slavery and who “share a common goal to make wine personally, on a human scale,” MOVI is on the cutting edge of wine in Chile, as noticed by Jancis Robinson and San Francisco celebwebity Alder Yarrow.
Jose Luis, together with a group of friends who likewise sport strong credentials, currently produce only two varietal wines through pet project Clos Andino. As I mentioned, Mr. Martin-Bouquillard’s wine is likewise a rarity because it is one of the only wines I have ever tried that claimed to combine the best of Old World and New World, and actually lived up to that promise.
In general, I feel that most wines need to make up their minds and just be who they are. But Clos Andino, whose name too is a blend of Old and New World, (Clos, a term used by Burgundian wine houses, and Andino meaning from the Andes) manages to pull it off. Most importantly, the Clos Andino wines avoid the worst of the New World, by not being too fruit forward, oaky, or otherwise too big. Which is not to say that you would confuse them, in general, for Old World. Their success is in their ability to tease the New World elements without coming on too strong, and exhibit just enough terroir and oak, that sneaks up the back and shows the classic restraint of French Wine. Not an easy feat in Chile, but the result is a well balanced wine, that manages to show off where it is from without forgetting where it came from. I particularly thought this true of the Casablanca Chardonnay, which I am a big fan of despite the fact that I rarely like Chardonnay. Casablanca is generally considered the best region in Chile for white grapes, particularly Chardonnay. But don’t take my word for it, Clos Andino has already managed to rack up a few meaningful medals and awards.
We had a chance to meet Jose Luis where he produces his wine in Curico. Currently, Clos Andino does not own it’s own vineyards or winery, a good advantage in Chile, especially during the recession. Jose Luis was GM at Terra Andina, so he knows his way around Chile and where to shop for good fruit. Though current production is small, the stated goal is to steadily increase production while focusing on consistency in style and quality. The thing is, I actually believe Mr. Martin-Bouquillard when he says this.
As we tasted wines out of the tanks, the thing that struck me about them was how well the winemaker style came out already, though they were by no means manipulated, and I would wager to say these wines will be even better than the previous vintage. This is not any easy thing to say, given the damage and extra work the February earthquake in Chile threw at winemakers here. However we are confident that the future holds many rewards and a few surprises for Jose Luis Martin-Bouquillard, and for you if you are lucky enough to get your hands on his wine. To that end, we are happy to announce we are now representing this talented enologist and his fantastic, value priced wines. If you are an importer and would like more information, please use the contact tab at the top of the page.
