Visiting
Chile's wine regions
Part 6:
Concha y Toro
Part
6: Concha
y Toro
We
visited Concha y Toro’s historical Pirque winery and vineyard on a
Sunday morning, which probably wasn’t a good idea. Although we had
an appointment, there wasn’t really anyone available to show us
around so they gave us the standard tourist tour. The guy who showed
us around was called Ronnie, and he did a great job, but while this
tour was pitched perfectly for the average tourist, it was a bit
embarrassing for a group like ours. At one stage he began to tell us
about the special irrigation system used in the vineyard, and when
Margaret Rand asked for more details his response was, ‘it’s a
secret’. We also got the cellar tour, with the devil in the
cellar, and were poured one of the wines from the tasting station
outside the winery (a 2005 Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc that had seen
better days).
However,
we were rescued by winemaker Max Weinlaub (below), who gave
us a superb tasting. I really liked Max, and even more so because he
had a copy of my book with him (Wine
Science). What a dude.
Concha
y Toro is an important winery globally. By far the largest outfit in
Chile, it is one of the world’s leading wine brands. Indeed, Chile
is lucky that its largest producer makes such good wines across the
board.
The
winery was founded in 1883 here in Pirque by the liberal politician
Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, and now has 6000 hectares of vineyards
spread throughout Chile’s wine regions. Export is important: 12
million cases are sent annually to 151 countries, as opposed to 8
million cases sold domestically.
In
1961 Eduardo Guilisasti purchased 51% of the company, and expanded
it considerably. It was floated on the New York Stock Exchange in
1994, and currently the Guilisasti are still the majority
shareholder with 27% of the company.
My
notes below are from three separate tastings: at Concha itself in
Chile, then a month later with Marcelo Papa (chief winemaker) at a
London dinner, and then with Marcelo again at the London trade fair
in May.
The Devil's Cellar
Casillero del
Diablo is an important brand for Concha: it sells 3 million
cases worldwide. The UK takes a third of these, and 60% of sales are
at full price, which for a brand in the UK is pretty good.
Casillero del
Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Sweet and ripe with lovely dense blackcurrant fruit. Lovely
density and balance here. 86/100 (02/08)
Casillero del
Diablo Shiraz 2007
Fresh, bright, sweet dark fruits nose with some tarry richness.
The palate has lovely sweet dense fruit with nice spiciness. A
delicious modern-styled wine. 87/100 (02/08)
Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir 2007
Lovely vivid cherryish nose showing sweet berry fruit with some
minty sappiness. The palate has attractive midweight fruit. Quite
berryish. 85/100 (02/08)
Casillero del Diablo Carmenère 2007
Lovely sweet dark blackberry and blackcurrant fruit nose with
some brambly depth. The palate is smoothly textured and dense with a
bit of minerality. A really attractive wine. 88/100 (02/08)
Casillero del Diablo Malbec 2007
Dark intense nose is spicy and full with sweet morello cherry
character. The palate is vivid with a savoury, spicy edge and some
nice tannin. This is from a single vineyard with 35 year old vines,
so it is limited. 88/100 (02/08)
Maycas del
Limari
A a new, exciting project. The northerly region is actually
quite cool-climate (because of coastal airmass movements) and
there’s big competition for water between pisco grapes, olives,
avocados and the newly arrived wine grapes, as well as bell peppers
and artichokes. Concha started planting here five years ago, and a
big emphasis is Syrah, which is 80% of their plantings. Marcelo Papa
claims that bits of Limari are the best places in Chile for growing
Chardonnay.
Maycas del
Limari Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Distinctive methoxypyrazine nose is fresh and a bit green. The
palate is vibrant and assertive with nice weight. Quite dense and
green. 88/100 (02/08)
Maycas del
Limari Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Very pale colour. Fresh, bright aromatic nose is grassy and
precise. The palate has grapefruit and citrus notes with minerally
acidity. A lovely, extreme style. 90/100 (01/08)
Maycas del
Limari Chardonnay 2006
Toasty and bright on the nose. Very fresh. The palate has lovely
freshness and intensity with tight figgy fruit and some toastiness.
Finishes lemony. 92/100 (02/08)
Maycas del
Limari Chardonnay 2006
Fresh, toasty, lemony nose with some nuttiness and subtle
tropical fruits. The palate is fresh and assertive with toasty
notes. Stylish and intense. 91/100 (01/08)
Maycas del
Limari Syrah 2005
Lovely meaty black fruits here: full and rich, and quite
complex. Soft, dense and meaty on the palate with great purity of
fruit. 91/100 (01/08)
Maycas del
Limari Syrah 2006
Sweet dark fruits nose is ripe but smooth. Really fresh with
nice purity. The palate has lovely freshness and a hint of pepper
alongside the sweet lush fruit. Delicious. 91/100 (02/08)
Maycas del
Limari Syrah 2007
Very rich, ripe and sweet, with pure, intense rich-textured red
and black fruits. It’s verging on jammy but still has some
definition, and overall it’s a very seductive wine. 90/100 (05/08)
Maycas del
Limari Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Very pure, attractive blackcurrant fruit nose is quite sweet but
still well defined. The palate shows focused sweet blackcurrant
fruit with nice balance and good acidity. Modern styled. 91/100
(01/08)
Maycas del Limari Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Dense coloured. Lovely dense ripe fruit is sweet and fresh with
nice blackcurrant character backed up by fresh acidity. Tasty, ripe
and pure. 90/100 (02/08)
Terrunyo
This brand retails in the UK for £9.99
Terrunyo
Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Casablanca
Refined. Grassy
and fresh with restrained fruit and good acidity. Nice
concentration. 89/100 (01/08)
Terrunyo Syrah
2005 Rapel
Black fruits nose. Savoury, spicy twist to the dense, ripe fruit
which has some nice tannic structure. 85/100
Terrunyo Carmènere 2005 Rapel
Lovely focus here: blackcurrant fruit with lovely soft texture.
Smooth and intense with some gravelly, minerally notes, too. Lovely.
89/100
Terrunyo
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Maipo
Smooth ripe blackcurrant fruit here. Very attractive in a very
ripe style. 86/100
Trio
A brand based around the idea of blends of three different
varieties. Retail £6.49.
Trio Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Casablanca
Distinctive green pepper methoxypyrazine nose. Crisp and savoury.
Full grassy palate with bright fruit and some tropical notes. Nice
breadth. 87/100 (01/08)
Trio
Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio/Pinot Blanc 2007 Casablanca
Rich nose is nutty and a bit toasty, with ripe buttery tropical
fruit. The palate has fresh herby notes and rich bold fruit. 88/100
(01/08)
Trio Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Cabernet Franc 2007
Maipo/Rapel
Ripe, juicy jammy nose of sweet blackcurrant fruit. There’s a
sappy greenness to the ripe, forward fruit on the palate. 82/100
(01/08)
Trio Merlot/Carmenere/Cabernet
Sauvignon 2006 Rapel/Maipo
Lovely nose: dark, spicy blackcurrant fruit and brilliant focus,
as well as a spicy, mineral edge. The palate shows focused
blackcurrant fruit. Approachable and balanced. 89/100 (01/08)
Trio Pinot
Noir 2006 Casablanca
Sweet and sour cherry coke nose with a sappy edge. The palate is
berryish with a sweet/sappy character. It tastes like Pinot. 85/100
(01/08)
Marqués de
Casa Concha
A brand retailing in the UK at
£7.99
Marqués
de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2006 Maipo
Broad, toasty, buttery, creamy nose has real appeal. The
palate is quite soft and rich with nutty, oaky, smoothly textured
fruit. A rich sophisticated style. 87/100 (01/08)
Marqués de
Casa Concha Merlot 2006 Rapel
Focused dark fruits nose. Palate is sweetly fruited and lush
with some soft elegance. Sweet. 87/100 (01/08)
Marqués de Casa Concha Syrah 2006 Rapel
Creamy blackcurrant nose with some vanilla and coconut oak.
Palate shows sweet ripe red/black fruits with a bit of a lack of
focus. 83/100
Marqués de
Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Maipo
Blackcurrant nose with a leafy edge. Sweet blackcurrant fruit
palate with nice texture and structure. 86/100
Finally a loner:
Concha's top Carmenère:
Concha y Toro
Carmin de Puemo Carmenère 2005
This is the second vintage of this icon Carmenère. It’s
smooth, dark and intense with a lovely chalky, mineralic edge to the
super-ripe, sweet dark fruits. The palate has a lovely rich texture
with soft, smooth lush fruit and a mineralic edge. A lovely rich,
but balanced wine. 94/100 (05/08)
VISITING
CHILE'S WINE REGIONS
Wines
tasted 01/08
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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