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2010 PRESS-TRIP TO CHILE: … ODFJELL
On our way back to Santiago we visited the ODFJELL winery in Maipo Valley. This winery was founded by a Norwegian ship-owner, Dan Odfjell from Bergen.
Dan Odfjell
More than 25 years ago he discovered Chile and fell in love with a lovely, warm and well-rounded … part of the Maipo Valley. The scenery at Padre Hurtado on the ancient way to Valparaíso is indeed fantastic, and just so close to the big Santiago city! Besides the landscape and the wines, Dan Odfjell has a great passion for horses. You will see some of them (Norske Fjordlinger) at Padre Hurtado and in stylized form, in the company logo.
We were welcomed by export manager Dean Hrabar, a jovial man with Australian Croatian roots… During the tasting, the French winemaker Arnaud Héreu joined us for a while.
The tasting
Armador sauvignon blanc 2009 Casablanca: ‘Armador’ is the Spanish word for ship owner (cf. ‘armateur’ in French). This a fresh, mineral and juicy sauvignon blanc. Enjoyable with ceviche or jardín de mariscos (sea food plate). OK.
Armador carmenère 2008 Central Valley: Very aromatic, ripe fruit with too much tobacco, tar, licorice, mocha, cedar wood on the back. Good structure, smooth, fresh and mineral. Not my type of carmenère, but quite OK.
Armador merlot 2008 Maipo: Plenty of red fruits, powerful and sweetish (alcohol!), mouth filling; too much green leaves, underbrush on the back for me, but I guess for lots of consumers it will be just OK.
Armador cabernet sauvignon 2008: Quite fruity and spicy, ripe, concentrated, juicy, strong but ripe tannines. OK.
Armador syrah 2007 Maipo: Fruity, very smoky and spicy on the nose. Fresh, juicy, well-balanced, good acidity, meaty but quite elegant. OK.
Orzada carmenère 2007 Maule: Very fruity, spicy and smoky, tobacco, cedar wood, leather, cloves, bitter chocolate, black olives and some menthol. Good structure, juicy, quite old-fashioned type of carmenère. Not my type, but OK.
Orzada carignan 2006 Maule: Rustic nose, dried fruit, vanillin, spices, tobacco, bitter chocolate etc. High concentration, full body, powerful but ripe tannins, good acidity. OK.
Orzada Organic malbec 2007 Ribera del Río Claro, Lontué: Quite peculiar in the nose: try to imagine, a big cup of smelted bitter chocolate, overripe red fruit bathing in it, a handful of sundried black olives and a few spoons of Royco mushroom minute soup with crumbs… Strange, isn’t it? Fortunately, the feeling on the palate is much better, good acidity, concentration, juice and minerality. The final is soft and mellow (alcohol!). Well, if you cool this wine some hours before opening the bottle (12-14°C), pour the wine over in a decanter at least 30 minutes before serving it, I certainly think this wine would smell and taste quite pleasant, especially when served with some crispy roasted lamb! Rather strange, but good wine.
Orzada cabernet sauvignon 2007 Colchagua: Very spicy, with some pepper, menthol and sundried fruits, backed by bitter chocolate, mocha, vanillin, toast etc. Full, well-balanced, vigorous, but quite monolithic. You have to like this kind of wine, I certainly do not. But for the aficionado, I guess this wine will be OK (pronounced as Oaky).
Orzada syrah 2006 Maule: Very heavy nose, graphite, tar, bitter chocolate, mocha, vanillin, dark caramel, fruit marmalade… Full body, meaty, chewy, with strong tannins and a long, warm and heavy finish. Not at all my style of syrah, but some people might actually like this wine. OK (pronounced as Oaky).
Orzada cabernet franc 2006 Maule: Fresh and delicate bouquet, a bit too much toasted oak. Fresh and mineral on the palate, complex, rich and full, meaty but not too heavy, with strong but ripe tannines and a long finish. Too much oak for me, but lots of people like this style of wine. OK (pronounced as Oaky).
Aliara 2006: Aliara is a Spanish word for a small tin cup used as measure on board of sail ships for the daily ration of wine granted to the crew… This is the flagship of Odfjell, made from the best barrels of the year and assembled as a cuvée. Sensual aromas, ripe fruit, complex mix of primary and secondary (oaky) tones; fresh, juicy, mouth filling and velvety on the palate, with a good balance between concentration, acidity, tannins and alcohol. Long and charming finish. Good wine!
Odfjell 2005 Cauquenes: This wine is made of 100% carignan and is produced only in years where everything is present to create a very special wine. As they say at Odfjell, rare but memorable. A real icon wine. Wow, what a powerful bouquet! Overloaded with fresh and ripe fruits, minerals, oaky notes, bitter chocolate, nuts, dried fruits and alcoholic vapors… Rich, full bodied, complex, concentrated, well-balanced, with a long and voluptuous finish, refreshed by a good acidity and mineral saltiness. May be a little bit too much of everything, but very enjoyable, memorable and collectable! For the real lovers of carignan. Very good wine!
After the tasting, I was a little bit disappointed. The whole range of Odfjell wines seem to show the same guiding line, the same ‘OaKy’ backbone, mineral saltiness, overripe fruit. Much more an ‘Odfjell’ brand profile than a terroir and varietal approach. This is real old-fashioned ‘New World’ style made for some specific markets. This is a choice that people make. I prefer the wines showing more freshness, elegancy, real terroir minerality and genuine identity. Don’t blame me; it’s just the way I am…
¡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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