Chardonnay (Colchagua Valley, Chile)
Today we return to the Colchagua Valley area of Chile. Centered around the town of Santa Cruz and roughly 100 miles south of the capital city of Santiago, Colchagua Valley is somewhat of a wine grower's paradise. It's a mere 15 miles or so from the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by mountains, the Andes being the most majestic by far, nearly 360 degrees around, it has a rainy, but not horribly so, winter and a bone dry summer. Winter temperatures tend to stay above 5C/41F while summer's daytime highs normally top out between 28 and 30C/ 82 to 86F. The sun shines long and bright during the summer baking the grapes with little respite. It is exactly these stresses that produce high-quality wines of character.
We're traveling to Santa Cruz from the provincial capital of San Fernando to its east. Along the somewhat rustic and elevated roads that we traverse, we see the local colonial architecture embedded in an agricultural area. As we enter Santa Cruz, there are vineyards and more vineyards, some large, some small, some trellised, and some seemingly growing wild.
We're looking for Chardonnay and while the area is better known for its red wines, there is plenty to be found. And, it's a great place to compare wines to see what you really like.
Why is that? Colchagua Valley is home to a large number of microclimates. Because each vineyard is positioned differently with respect to the towering Andes as well as the lesser sub-ranges, each gets direct sunlight at different times of the day and varying effects of the ocean breezes. Where we stand first this morning, the breezes come in directly from the west, but this afternoon, they will be more northerly at other vineyards.
Our Chardonnay today has been largely influenced by French winemaking styles. Most is aged in French oak, often about half new, and the remainder roughly split between second and third (neutral) use. Why French oak rather than American oak which is less expensive? The French oak tends to produce a silkier, yet more spicy finish as compared to the American oak that produces far more vanilla and coconut that lend themselves better to malolactic fermentation. Most top Chilean Chardonnay does not undergo malolactic.
On the nose, our Chardonnay from Colchagua Valley tends to sweet spices and tropical fruit. We get apricot, honey, a bit of vanilla, papaya, and quince. On the palate, we find an unusual burst of local granite intermingled with soft, yet noticeable acidity, a distinctive sweet nutty flavor mid-palate, and a silky citrus creme finish with just a bit of toast.
We're going to pair our wines today with a variety of foods, all enjoyable, but all different. We start with beetroot capeleti (a local pasta) stuffed with milky cheese. Then we go for a snack of unsalted pistachios. And, finally, we finish with roast turkey with shaved walnuts.
To bring out all the flavors in your Colchagua Valley Chardonnay, don't serve it too cold. 13-14C/57-59F, a tupical temperature for a fine Pinot Noir should be plenty cold enough.
We're traveling to Santa Cruz from the provincial capital of San Fernando to its east. Along the somewhat rustic and elevated roads that we traverse, we see the local colonial architecture embedded in an agricultural area. As we enter Santa Cruz, there are vineyards and more vineyards, some large, some small, some trellised, and some seemingly growing wild.
We're looking for Chardonnay and while the area is better known for its red wines, there is plenty to be found. And, it's a great place to compare wines to see what you really like.
Why is that? Colchagua Valley is home to a large number of microclimates. Because each vineyard is positioned differently with respect to the towering Andes as well as the lesser sub-ranges, each gets direct sunlight at different times of the day and varying effects of the ocean breezes. Where we stand first this morning, the breezes come in directly from the west, but this afternoon, they will be more northerly at other vineyards.
Our Chardonnay today has been largely influenced by French winemaking styles. Most is aged in French oak, often about half new, and the remainder roughly split between second and third (neutral) use. Why French oak rather than American oak which is less expensive? The French oak tends to produce a silkier, yet more spicy finish as compared to the American oak that produces far more vanilla and coconut that lend themselves better to malolactic fermentation. Most top Chilean Chardonnay does not undergo malolactic.
On the nose, our Chardonnay from Colchagua Valley tends to sweet spices and tropical fruit. We get apricot, honey, a bit of vanilla, papaya, and quince. On the palate, we find an unusual burst of local granite intermingled with soft, yet noticeable acidity, a distinctive sweet nutty flavor mid-palate, and a silky citrus creme finish with just a bit of toast.
We're going to pair our wines today with a variety of foods, all enjoyable, but all different. We start with beetroot capeleti (a local pasta) stuffed with milky cheese. Then we go for a snack of unsalted pistachios. And, finally, we finish with roast turkey with shaved walnuts.
To bring out all the flavors in your Colchagua Valley Chardonnay, don't serve it too cold. 13-14C/57-59F, a tupical temperature for a fine Pinot Noir should be plenty cold enough.
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