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PRESS TRIP CHILE – APRIL 2010 – CONO SUR
I had the chance to visit Chile for the second time in September-October 2009. 3 weeks of traveling, discovering, meeting wonderful people, tasting hundreds of wines, from ‘pretty drinkable but not really collectable’ to really fantastic wines. Everyone who drinks Chilean wine will have his favorite type of wines. So do I. I am not only looking just drinking pleasure and easy enjoyment in a glass of wine. I want just a little bit more. The wine has to tell me something, a nice story about where it actually comes from. It has to be different, not one of the many technically very well made clones of a classical European wine. I do not mind people making wines from pinot noir or syrah in Chile. But the wine have to tell me that it comes from Chile and not from Burgundy or the French Rhone Valley.
In April 2010, I came back to Chile for my third visit in 1,5 years. This time the trip was not organized by my good friend Sylvia Cava (ex-ProChile, now representative of Vinopres-Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Chile), but by Jane, Helen and Susana of BRANDABOUT.
CONO SUR 2009-2010
During myt rips in Chile, I had the chance to visit many wineries. One of those was CONO SUR in Chimbarongo, Colchagua Valley. I visited it twice, in 2009 and in April 2010. After a nice chat with the very charming Claudia Pfau, I had a tour of the winery, a bike ride in the vineyards and a nice tasting with Matías Rios (winemaking manager) and Adolfo Hurtado (chief winemaker & general manager).
Bio Bio sparkling wine brut (chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling): showed better in 2010; fresh, juicy, elegant, light and quite pleasant.
Organic San Antonio sauvignon blanc 2009: showed better in 2010; very aromatic, fresh, zesty and mineral.
Organic San Antonio chardonnay 2009: nice, concentrated, quite complex and aromatic.
20 Barrels Casablanca sauvignon blanc 2008: fresh, fruity, juicy and quite concentrated.
20 Barrels Casablanca chardonnay 2007: quite oaky (but elegant), creamy, buttery, nutty, mineral, juicy..
Reserva Colchagua carmenere rosé 2008: with 13% syrah and 2% cabernet sauvignon; intense light red colour, aromatic, fruity, juicy and mild.
Reserva Casablanca gewurztraminer 2009: pretty gastronomic, floral and mineral, elegant and juicy.
Reserva Bio Bio riesling 2008: aromatic, zesty, elegant, fresh, mineral, off-dry.
Reserva Colchagua viognier 2008: showed better in 2010; elegant, floral, fruity (apricot), slightly mineral, juicy.
Organic Colchagua pinot noir 2008: classic nose, very pinot noir, juicy, fruity, ripe, mineral but to my humble opinion a little bit too warm (alcohol) in the finish.
20 Barrels Casablanca pinot noir 2007: fresh, good fruit, elegant, juicy, mineral, very tasty, long and complex finale.
Ocio Casablanca pinot noir 2008: simply G-R-E-A-T! Fantastic in balance, good fruit, fresh, perfectly integrated oak, long aftertaste, slightly mineral… I LOVE IT!
Organic Colchagua cabernet-carmenere 2008 (plus some syrah and malbec): quite complex, well-balanced, juicy, well-structured, soft finish, a bit too warm (alcohol).
Reserva Colchagua carmenere 2008: good, full of ripe fruit, fresh, concentrated, with good tannins.
20 Barrels Limari syrah 2008: complex, intense, fruity, mineral, juicy, creamy, round, spicy, with good tannins and a long, slightly toasty chocolate finish.
20 Barrels Colchagua merlot 2007: nice ripe fruit, good tannins, but a little too much ‘toasty’ and warm (alcohol).
20 Barrels Maipo cabernet sauvignon 2007: really beautiful: mineral, fruity, full-bodied, juicy, with a long finish.
¡Comprar vinos chilenos ayuda a las víctimas del terremoto!
Buy Chilean wines to help the victims of the earthquake!
Achetez du vin chilien pour aider les victimes du tremblement de terre !
Koop Chileense wijnen om de slachtoffers van de aardbeving te helpen!
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