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Posts Tagged ‘MOVI’

Caliboro – Italian Wine in Chile

09 Jan

One of the nicest trips we’ve ever had visiting a winery in Chile was our visit to the Viña La Reserva de Caliboro.  Caliboro is a very interesting project, as different from the “typical” Chilean winery of the Grupos (Chilean conglomerates) as can be.

Owned by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, who also owns Col d’Orcia, an excellent producer of Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the winery makes only one iconic wine, Erasmo.  This in stark contrast to the majority of wineries in Chile that have overwhelmingly extensive catalogs of mostly varietal wines, and um, aren’t owned by an Italian Count.

Caliboro was by far the most secluded of the wineries we visited in Chile.  The wine trade in Chile has made many strides in recent years, including in the realm of tourism.  Still, wineries and wine trails, though evolving, are not as easy to navigate as in the States.  One doesn’t just pop in.  Chile has so many great valleys for producing wine, that often times there aren’t even any other wineries nearby.  The neighbor is as likely a rancher or fruit farmer.

The Count had arranged for us to meet with the General Manager at Caliboro, Cesar Opazo.  As we pulled up to the designated spot in the middle of the Maule Valley quite literally after driving miles and miles on a dusty unpaved country road, we came upon a white pickup truck.  Inside we glanced at a stately looking gaucho, undoubtedly the kind of man  not unaccustomed to real work, but with a refined and dignified air.  He immediately motioned for us to follow him.  Apparently, there were no other people on the road or tourists riding about visiting wineries out here!

Drying grapes for Amarone style wine in Chile

Clusters of grapes hang drying from the ceiling at Caliboro

Cesar escorted us to a country house a little further up the road on a private lot.  The house was a large rustic yet noble country cottage.  After making some introductions, we headed inside and saw several white grapes hanging from the ceiling of the entrance way.  “An experiment” Cesar explained.  It would be the first of many times he would say that.  Apparently they were working on a wine made in the style of an Amarone (they had red grapes drying elsewhere, but were also trying white).

The day progressed very much on South American time.  An unrushed tour of the properties vineyards, as Cesar explained the history of the project, was followed by a tour of the winery and then a long relaxed lunch, featuring a vertical tasting of Erasmo.  Along the way every so often, Cesar would point out a unique varietal, an oak barrel or tank, a strange piece of equipment.  ”An experiment” he would explain.  The vines are dry farmed, typical of Caliboro’s outside the box thinking, and a perfect match to this dry Mediterranean climate.

Lunch was a localvore’s dream.  The tomatoes were from the garden, the tortilla (the frittata, not the bread) was made from the local hen’s eggs, and even the beef was from the very same ranch.

The wines were stunning, showing true aging potential, and a European sensibility that comes from making wine for generations, not just years.  These are wines to sip slowly, and enjoy the nuances as they evolve over the course of a meal.    Every vintage had its own characteristics, making it quite difficult to decide upon the best, though all shared the common characteristics of appearing a bit austere at the first sip, then gradually opening up to reveal layers of dark cherries and wild berries, herbs, and spices in harmony with the oak.  These wines made a lasting impression on us, and are amongst our favorite.

Unfortunately for us and our followers, the wines are already being imported and are distributed by Southern.  While the upside is that you can find these wines in the States right now, because they are lost in Southern’s massive portfolio, they are hard to find in California.  Your best bet is to order online from one of the reputable vendors.

Like Flaherty and Clos Andino, Caliboro is a member of MOVI.

 
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Posted in Traveling

 

French Wine in Chile, Fine, but Irish?

25 Sep

Jen and EdThis is almost too easy.  Small production boutique winery making high end value priced wine, check.  Extremely smart and talented winemaker, with impressive resume, check.  Said winemaker, despite being one of the top and most sought after in his market, completely humble and really nice, check.  Wow, Chile, why have you been hiding for so long?

American Ed Flaherty, like his Frenchman companion from MOVI highlighted last month, is kind of a big deal around here.  He’s worked on some pretty big projects for some pretty important names in Chile and Argentina, such as Errazuriz, Zuccardi, and current employer Tarapaca.  As an executive winemaker overseeing many projects, Flaherty Wines is Ed’s attempt to get his hands dirty again.  It is winemaking for the soul, and it shows.

But this is no one man show.  Truly a family wine business, Ed’s wife Jen Hoover is “the other half of the equation.”  Aside from working on various aspects of the business, Jen notes on her blog “wine is ultimately a beverage that is meant to be consumed—and it is rarely consumed on its own.”  Thus Jen spends a good deal of time updating the winery’s blog with “Jen’s Kitchen,” a series of recipes and musings about food.  And she knows what she is talking about.  My wife and I have spent countless hours scheming on how to be invited over for dinner again.  The last time we were in Jen’s kitchen, I had three helpings of pie.  And the time before that as well!

Dinner with Ed and Jen goes by too quickly.  It’s how a dinner with friends should be.  Good conversation, that flows freely like the wine, paired with wonderfully prepared seasonal and organic food, as likely to have come from a country cafe in Sonoma as anywhere.  Did I mention the wine?

2008 Flaherty Aconcagua ValleyThe 2008 Flaherty Aconcagua Valley, like all the Flaherty wines to date, is a truly handcrafted wine, heavy on the “hand.”  For example, the Cabernet and Syrah were hand picked at nearby Manzur Vineyard, and delivered to the house in small picking lugs.  The Tempranillo came from their own vineyard planted in front of the house.  While this wine was literally being made in the garage, the family punched the caps by hand three times daily.  It was then basket pressed and racked to barrel where the components were aged in 15% new American and Romanian oak, the remainder in 2-3 year old French and American oak barrels.

Jennifer, wife, mother, and Certified Sommelier, had this to say about the wine:  ”This wine has a great balance and complexity, which can easily be overlooked as it’s a very accessible wine meant to be enjoyed and not overly analyzed.  However, if you do take the time to savor it, you may notice that this cherry red, day bright wine with medium plus viscosity has some great fruit, savory, and floral notes.  I picked up some plums, cherries, blueberries, rasberries, casis, cactus fruits, cinnamon,hints of chocolate, hazelnuts, white pepper, dried rose petals, hints of tropical flowers like hibiscus, damp leaves, mushrooms, smoky wood.  There is a meaty character to the wine as well, and J (the meat expert) and I had a bit of debate around how to characterize it; apparently bacon wasn’t sufficient, and it’s better described as a proscuitto leaning towards a steak.  The wine has a medium plus acidity and a long finish, making it a great wine to enjoy with food.”

We had ours with avacado and smoked pancetta steak burgers and japanese squash french fries.  Yeah, we’re from California.

 
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Posted in Business, Wine

 

Clos Andino – French Wine in Chile?

28 Jul

Jose Luis Martin-BouquillardMeet 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.

Clos Andino ChardonnayIn 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.

Certified Sommelier Jennifer ValentaWe 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.

 
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Posted in Business

 

Earthquake!!!

03 Mar

So Jen and I wrapped up our trip to Santiago, knowing we had decided on moving to Mendoza, but also that we would likely be back. On that note, we met with Derek Mossman of MOVI, a group of independent winemakers. We met at his house where he poured for us some of his wines from Garage Wine Co and we talked about the Chilean vs. Argentine wine industry. The trippy thing was, that at some point we talked about earthquakes, and I made the ominous comment that I thought Chile was about due for one.

Well sure enough, a very large earthquake did in fact strike Chile. It was so large, that despite being on the other side of the Andes, we felt it pretty good over here in Mendoza, Argentina. Luckily, we had flown from Santiago to Mendoza a mere 12 hours before it struck, but we had very nearly stayed another day in Santiago.

Having grown up in California and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for ten years, I was no stranger to earthquakes. I woke up to the slight tapping of our hanging closet doors. I must have sensed something was wrong, because I looked over at the window, where sometimes the wind blew in and made the same noise. The curtain wasn’t moving, there was no wind. I bounced up and then I heard a car alarm, confirming my suspicion it was an earthquake. I grabbed baby, woke up mom and we went to the closest doorway, where we sat through an agonizingly long 2-3 minutes of the floors waving and the walls shearing. I tried to make light of it, and downplayed how bad I thought it was for Jen. Siena, born and raised (until now) in San Francisco, slept through the whole thing, and even a diaper change in between aftershocks.

Being from California, we didn’t bother going back to bed until after the first aftershock. It wasn’t too bad, so we went back bed. We woke up for the second aftershock, looked up at the light fixture gently rocking, and went back to sleep again.

The next day we went to the Internet cafe, and tried sending emails, Facebook updates, and so on, so our family would know we were okay. Internet was spotty, as the quake seemed to have knocked out some lines.

We also reached out to our friends in Chile, all of whom thankfully are okay. Matias, of Espresso Bar Cafe reports that there was no damage where he was. Derek was not so lucky, as he writes about here, but the most important thing is that his family is safe.

We are filled with a sense of wanting to help. We haven’t figured out how exactly yet, but I’m sure Derek from MOVI can point us in the right direction.

In the meantime, we urge you to please buy that Chilean wine or organic Chilean strawberries the next time you are in the store. In this small way, you can contribute to rebuilding Chile.

 
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Posted in Traveling