CHILE
Chile Briefing Paper History of Chile Chile occupies a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, with different valleys crossing the country. The vinifera vine (the species of vine used for making wine) was introduced into South America in the early 16 th century by Cortes and the Spanish armies and settlers and arrived in Chile in the 1550s. Chile s particular importance lies in the fact that their vineyards have never been infected by the phyloxera bug that devastated the rest of the world in the second half of the 19 th century, and operates a quarantine policy for vines. The wines suffered a decline in the 1970s and early 1980s due to the unsettled political and economic situation. However, with the return of stability there was a concerted quality revival in the 1990s with both vineyards and winemaking technology. ARICA IQUIQUE TOCOPILLA CALAMA ANTOFAGASTA PACIFIC OCEAN COPIAPÓ ELQUI VALLEY LIMARI VALLEY LA SERENA OVALLE CHOAPA VALLEY ACONGAUA VALLEY CASABLANCA VALLEY SAN ANTONIO VALLEY CACHAPOAL VALLEY CURICO VALLEY MAULE VALLEY ITATA VALLEY BIO-BIO VALLEY VALPARAISO SANTIAGO MAIPO VALLEY COLCHAGUA VALLEY TALCA CHILLÁN MALLECO VALLEY TEMUCO OSORNO PUERTO MONTT CASTRO ATLANTIC OCEAN PUERTO AISÉN PUNTA ARENAS 2
Maule Valley Chile s wine producing districts are, in essence, a series of valleys from rivers flowing down from the Andes to the Pacific. Maule Valley is 260 kilometres south of Santiago, with Talca as its capital. It was one of the first regions to be planted with vines in the 16 th century and was a major producer of Chilean wine in the 19 th century. It is a large region, second only to Colchagua for hectares under vine, with a diversity of climates and soils, much of which are volcanic. Formerly a source of less expensive and bulk wines, centred on the Pais grape, the region is now transformed with plantings of international varietals. One of the reasons for this change has been the problem of drought in vineyards further north, particularly from Santiago. The cooler, wetter climate in Maule Valley and the prevalence of old vine Carignan grapes are proving to be a good investment for better quality wine and consequently boutique wineries are springing up here. Maule Valley vineyards Red grapes:... 73% White grapes:... 27% By varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon.. 33% Pais...14%, Sauvignon Blanc...8% Carmenere...7% View of Chile s valley looking north Structure of the industry Wine in Chile has traditionally been dominated by a handful of large producers; indeed, even now 50% of production is in the hands of only five companies: Concha y Toro (inc Cono Sur & Vina Maipo), Luis Felipe Edwards, Santa Rita Wine Estates, Vina San Pedro Tarapaca Group Santa Carolina. Chile is also notable for its lack of co-operatives, due to the traditional dominance of private wineries. However, since the 1990s there has been a growth in the emergence of smaller producers and a greater overall focus on quality. This development has been due, in part, to foreign wine producer s investment, companies such as the Spanish producer Miguel Torres and French producer Rothschild. 3
The Vineyards Typically, wineries both own their own vineyards and also buy in contracted grapes from growers. Chile s vineyards are dominated by 4 varieties which represent 60% of the production. Two varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon (32%) and Sauvignon Blanc (11%), cover 43% of vineyards, with Merlot and Chardonnay planted in 17.5% of vineyards. The recently identified Carmenere, (8% of vineyards) was, for many years until 1994, thought to be Merlot when it arrived in the middle of the 19 th century. Production French wines are very much the benchmark style for Chilean wines. This dates from the 19 th century when rich vineyard owners wanted to emulate the wines of France and Bordeaux in particular. There are two particularly well know portmanteau geographical names: Central Valley refers to wine from: Maipo Valley Rapel Valley Curico Valley Maule Valley Rapel Valley refers to wine from: Cachapoal Valley Colchagua Valley Chilean markets Virtually all of Chile s wine is exported with home consumption amongst its 15 million population relatively small. The biggest market is Europe with 37% of production followed by Asia with 28% and then North America with 20.5% 4
Casa Donoso History of the Casa Donoso winery The winery dates back to first quarter of the 19 th century and was owned by the Donoso family until 1989 when it was sold to a French businessman keen to develop a top class Bordeaux blend. After the 2010 earthquake the winery was bought by Jorge Selume, an economist, academic, researcher and entrepreneur. Location: Four vineyard sites around the town of Talca in Maule Valley Ownership: Casa Donoso is currently owned by Jorge Selume and his family. Established: Early 1800s Vineyards : The estate has 800ha. of which 600 are vineyards over four sites and which provide all the grape requirements for Casa Donoso. The rest of the land is used to make compost and for tourist activities. Soil and Climate: Clay loam and granitic soil. Mediterranean climate, with high thermic oscillation: very hot days and very cold nights Winery: Casa Donoso has two cellars with temperature controlled stainless steel vats and 1,000 oak barrels (70% French and 30% Americam). All their wine is bottled at the winery. Varieties Produced: 245 ha Cabernet Sauvignon 60 ha Chardonnay 120 ha Carmenere 30 ha Sauvignon Blanc 100 ha Merlot 15 ha Cabernet Franc 20 ha Malbec 10 ha Carigñan Region Maule Valley, one of the oldest of Chile s wine producing areas, benefits from a cool, damp climate (further north draught is a real problem). Until the 1990s it produced a great deal of cheap, bulk wine. Since then the vineyards have been revitalised and it has become a source of much excellent wine with a potential for more improvements. Brief Description Casa Donoso is a traditional estate dating back to the early 1800s. New ownership has re-invigorated the winery and it is now very much a part of the new wave of modern style producers in the Maule Valley region. 5
Cabernet Sauvignon Maule Valley Evolucion Reserva Denominacion Origen Casa Donoso Story of the wine: Maule Valley is Chile s oldest wine region, about 150 miles south of Santiago, and is mainly volcanic soils. Casa Donoso has 4 vineyard areas around the town of Talca. Grape(s): 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Carmenere Area: Vineyards in the Maule Valley near the town of Talca Vines per ha.: 3,700 to 4,000 per ha. Av. age of vines: 25 years old Vinification: There is a 3 day pre fermentation maceration at 8-10 0 C, followed by a 5-7 day fermentation at 27-28 0 C. There is a complete malolactic fermentation Ageing: 30% of the wine is aged in French and American oak barriques for 8 to 12 months depending on the nature of the vintage. The rest is aged in stainless steel vats. The wine is then bottled and given 3 months ageing before release. Pack size: 6x75cl Descriptions for Wine List 1. Plums and blackcurrant on the nose. In the mouth it has a herbaceous feel with a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon mint with soft tannins to finish. 6
Sauvignon Blanc Maule Valley Evolucion Reserva Denominacion Origen Casa Donoso Story of the wine: Maule Valley is Chile s oldest wine region, about 150 miles south of Santiago, and is mainly volcanic soils. Casa Donoso has 4 vineyard areas around the town of Talca. The estate was established in the early 19 th century, but the current owners bought it in 2011. Grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc Area: From Casa Donoso s vineyards around the town of Talca in the Maule valley Vines per ha.: 4,000 per ha. Av. age of vines: 25 years old Vinification: There is a 7-10 day fermentation at 11-14 0 C in stainless steel vats. There is no malolactic fermentation Ageing: It is kept in stainless steel vats until bottled 6 months after fermentation, then a further 2 months in bottle before release. Pack size: 6x75cl Descriptions for Wine List 1. A classic aromatic Sauvignon nose; on the palate a light crispness is gently balanced with fruit and a good length on the finish. 7