Presentation Chilean Santa Rita wines

Through Melman Communications I received an invitation from Noordman Wijnimport to join them for lunch at "The Wine Room" of restaurant "La Rive" at the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam. All this to promote Chilean wine-giant Santa Rita. No unknown player in the Netherlands, known to most consumers from their wine named "120", available among others at the Makro and Dirck III, which is already on the market since 1982. Today was about the Reserva and Medalla Real wines with a "dessert" of the 2005 CCC (Triple C) and the 2005 Casa Real. Noordman Wijnimport exists since 1934 and Viñas Santa Rita since 1880, no less. The collaboration between Noordman Wijnimport and Santa Rita began 22 years ago.

For elaboration about the wines, winemaker Carlos Gatica was flown in. In Chile, he leads a group of eight winemakers. Santa Rita is one of the leading players in the international market as evidenced by the fact that they export to over 75 countries. About 20 years ago, one began with a move from easy fertile soils to soils where the roots of the vines have to work harder for their nutrients. The demand for terroir wines is steadily growing. Irrigation in Chile is almost inevitable, but Santa Rita doesn't stick to a fixed schedule. They pay regular visits to the vineyard to see if it is needed. Only when the grape threatens to consume its own juice, irrigation will commence, and then almost drop by drop. Santa Rita also bought a producer of bottles which produces the lightest in the industry. The knife cuts both ways: it is less environmentally damaging and transport costs are also lower. These measures have ensured that they will shortly receive the license of "sustainable company". In general you can say that Chilean wines are quite more alcoholic than their European counterparts. This is because of the huge climate difference in day and night. At night it cools so strongly that the activity in the vine almost completely comes to a halt. In moderate climates the sugar reserve is sometimes called upon at night, but in Chile it all remains in the grape. At fermentation sugars are converted into alcohol; the more sugar in the grapes, the higher the potential alcohol content. Another advantage of cold nights is that all flavors and essential acidity will retain in the grapes.

Several tapas were served with the first two white wines, both from the sauvignon blanc grape. The first 2010 Reserva Casablanca DO was as I expected, boxwood, citrus. The 2008 Medalla Real Leyda DO was less typical. Corn and asparagus in flavor, quite minerally and even a salty taste. For the main course of jugged hare, we even went back to tasting this wine and it was a surprisingly good match. With the entree of on the skin baked cod with shrimp, cockles and scallops, two chardonnay's were served. Here also that salty flavor which I never before tasted in Chardonnay. Of course there was also the typical "butterness" of chardonnay, vanilla of the wood used, but modest, and still a remarkable high acidity. For the main dish of jugged hare with its own gravy and a biscuit crumble, savoy cabbage, stuffed Brussels sprouts, and caramelized onion rings, four red wines were presented. The 2009 Carmenère Reserva Valle de Rapel DO, the 2008 Merlot Reserva Valle del Maipo DO, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Valle del Maipo DO and the 2008 Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Maipo DO. Despite the good quality of all the wines, opinions were divided on which of these wines was best suited to the dish. For me it was the carmenère. The merlot was overshadowed by the dish and the two cabernet sauvignons I found really too intense for this modest dish. Would this have been more spicy or accompanied by a strong game sauce, they would have been better candidates.

For dessert, a plate of old cheeses served with the 2005 CCC, or Triple C (55% Cabernet franc, 30% Cabernet sauvignon and 15% Carmenère). A wine they only produce in good quality years. A tiny sweetness at first, fresh, soft mouth feel, 16 months on oak barrels but very well integrated into the wine with nice round tannins. This was followed by the 2005 Casa Real from 100% cabernet sauvignon. The characteristic aroma of cedarwood is evident, 14 months on new French oak barrels and this is more clear here but still not dominant. Drying in the mouth but not overly tannic.

Santa Rita sets the trend towards producing more quality and terroir-wines. Rather noteworthy that the New World wines once were celebrated for their striking differences with wines from the Old World, upon which the Old World saw their market shrink, while nowadays more and more attempts are made to copy, or even enhance, the style of the Old World approach. In my view Santa Rita has done a great job with this.