Santa Rita - Expressions of Carménère
posted 8th July 2021
Carménère is a grape variety considered by many wine lovers to be uniquely Chilean. Indeed it is described as such on several websites, but the adventurous wine lover can find fine wine examples from Italy's Veneto (Inama Carménère Più), and there is a sweet Passito wine made in Friuli-Venezia Giulia by Lorenzonetto. There are also small plantings in Argentina, and the USA. Château Clerc Milon in Pauillac, Bordeaux, usually has 1% or so in the blend for the Grand Vin. There are at least 8,000 hectares planted in China. However, there is no dispute that Chile has taken the variety to its heart and it is regarded as Chile's USP. Chile, which now has over 10,000 hectares planted, leads the world in Carménère production, and this includes some truly outstanding wines.
It could have been so different, indeed it could have been a disaster for Chile. The identification of Carménère vines in Chile, only took place in late 1994 by Jean-Marie Boursiquot and winemaker Claude Valat. Prior to that the vines in question had been assumed to be Merlot Chileno. With hindsight, the confusion seems most strange, as the grape clusters are a different shape, the vine growing tips are very distinctive, Carménère leaves are different and turn red in Autumn, and the variety ripens much later than Merlot. Thus, historically, Merlot Chileno was noted for green aroma and flavour notes, for the grapes were being picked under-ripe, and contained high levels of methoxypyrazines (which decline during the ripening phase). Selling a wine as Merlot that wasn't really Merlot could have hit Chile's wineries hard, but a combination of openness, proactive PR and marketing of the variety as Chile's great discovery soon had wine lovers seeking out the aromas and flavours that are uniquely Carménère.
2017 Santa Rita Floresta Carménère
The variety first came to Chile from Bordeaux in the 1850s. This was before the dreaded Phylloxera hit the region - from 1869 onwards Bordeaux vines were devastated by this root burrowing louse. Prior to the arrival of Phylloxera, Carménère was an important variety in Bordeaux, particularly in the Médoc. Malbec too was commonly used in the Bordeaux blend, and unlike Carménère is still found in many vineyards today, particularly on the Right Bank. When the Bordeaux vineyards were replanted with grafted vines in order to resist Phylloxera, Carménère was not included in the new plantings, and thus the variety virtually ceased to exist in the region. It is susceptible to blossom drop, which is one of the reasons it wasn't replanted. Indeed, if the variety had not found its way to Chile in the 1850s it may well have become extinct.
Whilst Carménère is planted in several regions in Chile it is in the Colchagua Valley that it performs best. Just north of the little town of Santa Cruz is the horseshoe shaped Alpalta Valley, and in t his unique location the variety reaches its zenith. Here there is a large diurnal temperature range, and the cool nights help lock in acidity. The name 'Apalta' means beaten up or poor soils - there are alluvial soils in the valley bottom, but granite on the hillsides. Most of the vines are 'dry-farmed', and poor soils help contain excessive vigour, which is one of the traits of the variety. Interestingly it is also susceptible to Margarodes vitis which, like Phylloxera, attacks the vine roots. Although this leads to the vine's decline, it does reduce vigour during the productive years, so many growers regard it as a pest to be lived with.
The aroma and flavours profile of Carménère is very broad. If the grapes are slightly under-ripe there can be hints of grassiness and green pepper - largely on account of the high level of methoxypyrazines in the grapes. With more ripeness, red and black bell pepper come to the fore, together with red and dark fruits including raspberry and blackberry. When the grapes get over-ripe, wines can have soy-sauce tones, which can work in a well-structured example.
The, masterclass held in the Pall Mall Room at the Army & Navy Club
And so to Santa Rita. The estate was founded in 1880 by Don Domingo Fernández Concha, who can be regarded is one of the pioneers of modern Chilean viticulture. He brought high quality French grape varieties to the Maipo Valley, to the south of Santiago. Today the company owns more than 3,700 hectares of vineyards. Recently, I was fortunate to be invited to a seminar hosted by Patrick Schmitt of The Drinks Business and Sebastián Lebbé, head winemaker at Viña Santa Rita. This was held in the reserved surroundings of The Pall Mall Room at the Army & Navy Club in London. Now, there is a trend in the wine industry to hold events in the so-called trendy warehouses in Shoreditch and other 'hip' areas, but give me classic surroundings when there is fine wine to be assessed. I have no doubt that the chemistry of buildings impacts upon the aroma perceptions of wines.
I compared and contrasted seven Santa Rita wines, ranging from the 2013 to 2019 vintages. One of the wines, 'Triple C' is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère from the Maipo region. The other six wines were at least 85% Carménère, all from Colchagua, including three from Alpalta which, as we have already noted, has perfect conditions for the variety. All the wines were really good, but my clear favorite was the 2017 Floresta - 100% Carménère. The nose is incredibly perfumed, even floral, and then develops with a rich melange of summer fruits. The palate exudes red and black berry fruits with some peppery notes. The wine is well structured, but the tannins are already silky, and the finish really long. And, with an alcohol of just 13.2%, it is a wine for drinking and enjoying, not just sipping.
It's a few years since I've been to Chile - not that long ago I was taking groups of wine lovers every year. I really can't wait to go back, and a visit to Santa Rita will be a top priority. Until then, I will have to be content with the wines - pleasure now, and happiness tomorrow.
