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2010 PRESS-TRIP CHILE: … MOVI-TASTING
MOVI is an association of independent vintners, in Spanish MOvimiento de Vinateros Independientes. It is a very exciting project of small (boutique) Chilean wineries with a few common goals like making quality wine on a human scale, personally as small winery owner, with passion and enthusiasm, rowing against the strong stream of the big holding groups dominating the Chilean wine business. The group of 12 founding members has grown in a short time up to 16. They are all different and unique individuals, making different and unique wines, but all have the same goals! In alphabetic order, the latest list of members:
Bravado wines, Clos Andino, Erasmo-Reserva de Caliboro, Flaherty, Garage Wine Co., Gillmore, Hereu, I Latina, Meli, Polkura, Rukumilla, Sigla, Starry Night, Tipaume, Trabun, Von Siebenthal.
One of the big differences between MOVI members and the big wine companies is that all the members know and respect each other, but also know each other wines. In big events, tastings and whatever happens, there will be always one or more of those independent vintners to tell you about the wines of the group and the other members. So did Derek Mossman Knapp of Garage Wines Co. during our press-trip. It was a very hectic tasting and presentation in the office of Brandabout in Santiago, just before we would go to the airport and have our flight back. Well, afterwards, we could have better have a longer time together. The trip to the airport was not exactly what we expected. A small but nasty volcano kept us stranded for a week in Santiago… But that is another story.
The tasting
Derek brought 19 different wines to taste. One of them had ‘cork’, unfortunately. All those wines had their own story to tell, and we listened. Of course, at the end of the tasting, we were asked which of those wines would be our favorite top-5… I prefer to tell you here all the ones I did like, because everyone has his own vision of what is a great wine. Sometimes I do prefer to drink a wine that is not perfect but so fascinating, a wine that matches very well with the type of food I like.
The wines I liked:
Polkura Aylin sauvignon blanc Leyda 2009: Fresh, pure, delicate, crispy, vivid, juicy…
Polkura Block G+I syrah Marchiguë, Colchagua 2007: Very tasty syrah, but like more often in Chile, just too much concentration and tannins for me, more minerality and freshness would make it even better!
Von Siebenthal Parcela 7 Aconcagua 2006: Very well made, lots of ripe fruit, elegant, juicy, spicy… I found it a little bit too dryish in the finish.
Von Siebenthal Carmenère Gran Reserva Aconcagua 2008: Very well made, spicy, elegant, juicy… but here again for me a little too dryish in the finish.
Erasmo Reserva de Caliborio Maule 2006: Strange feeling, this wine smelled and tasted like an Italian wine from Piemonte, no Barolo or Barbaresco, but much more the Asti or Monferrato style… Beautiful wine, fresh acidity… but I didn’t really appreciate the quite dusty and dryish finish.
Bravado Facundo Lolol 2007: Very mineral, elegant and juicy. Good wine, but however a little bit dusty finish.
Meli carignan Valle de Loncomilla 2008: Fantastic nose, animal, spicy, mineral… Smooth, tasty and juicy on the palate… Great wine that is probably made from old vines… Fantastic concentration. Unfortunately, I found the tannins a bit too hard in the finish, giving a little misbalance to the wine. Even considering the youth of the wine, I am not totally convinced this will completely disappear. But I hope it will…
Garage # 18 cabernet sauvignon/carignan Maipo Alto 2008: Wow, what a fabulous fruit! Very juicy, great structure, very tasty. Good wine, but for me a little bit too dryish in the finish.
The wines I loved:
Bravado Marina sauvignon blanc Casablanca 2009: Fantastic nose, complex, fresh, elegant, delicate, mineral, slightly grassy but not too much pyrazine, a beauty!
Starry Night Emoción syrah Reserva Maipo Coastal 2008: Wow, what a great stinky one! Earthy, leather, boldos, dried aromatic herbs, very mineral, a bit rustic but so tasty and genuine! A lovely beast!
Polkura Syrah Marchiguë Colchagua 2007: Great balance, powerful body and taste, very aromatic and mineral. Very good wine!
Gillmore Cobre Gran Reserva Valle Loncomilla Maule 2003: Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, carmenère… A bit of reduction in the nose, lovely stinky one. Fortunately the mouth feeling was much better… Quite rustic, but good balance, great concentration, very juicy and tasty. It would be even better with a little bit less alcohol. This seems to be a wine from ‘secano’ (dry farming). Very good wine!
Sigla 4 Maipo 2008: Syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot… Beautiful bouquet! Great acidity, minerality and concentration, but never too much, very juicy and lingering finish. Fantastic balance. Very good wine!
Hereu Valle Central 2007: Great bouquet! Very elegant wine from syrah, malbec and carignan. Great structure, great balance… Very good wine!
Gillmore cabernet franc Reserva Valle Loncomilla, Maule 2006: Dry farming again… Very nice nose. Great concentration and balance, lots of fruit and spices, very juicy and fresh, powerful but ripe tannines. Very good wine!
Garage cabernet franc # 19 Maipo Alto 2008: Lots of fruit in the sensual nose! Fabulous wine, great balance, very elegant and mineral, long, pure, sexy finish with a hint of licorice. Very well integrated oak and alcohol. A perfect example of gastronomic wine! Very good wine!
¡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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