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April 2, 1999
Web posted at: 2:17 p.m. EST (1917 GMT)

By Marguerite Thomas

(Los Angeles Times Syndicate) -- Even the most casual visitor cannot help but notice that Chile's wine industry is on the move. The most dynamic of all New World wine regions shows every indication that it is ready to compete with the world's super-premium wine producers. Fueled by both domestic and international investment, vineyards and wineries are sprouting up all over the country's great agricultural valleys. As a result of all of this frenzied planting and modernization, the country now produces a host of appealing wines, most of which are as easy on the pocketbook as on the palate.

The overall quality of Chilean wines is much improved, thanks in part to modern viticultural and winemaking techniques, and an influx of winemakers from France and California.

Traditionally, Chilean wines are crafted from classic European grape varieties, especially Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. A number of vineyards were planted 150 years ago with vines brought from Bordeaux. (Research indicated that some varieties -- most notably Carmenere -- exist here that have disappeared altogether from France.)

Due to the protection and isolation afforded by the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, phylloxera, the blight that nearly wiped out the vineyards of Europe and the United States, never reached Chile. The vines, therefore, were never grafted onto American rootstocks. For this reason, these unaffected vines can achieve extreme longevity; 50-year-old vines are by no means uncommon.

The best way to become acquainted with Chilean wines is to visit the source, but one first has to make one's way out of Santiago.

Of Santiago's 5 million residents, more than 4 million drive automobiles -- constantly, at all times of the day and night. Many of the wineries I visited are a mere hour or so from the capital city, but inching one's way out of town, trying not to inhale the fumes produced by legions of smoke-spewing cars and buses, can feel like an exercise in futility, especially for those Norte Americanos who become apoplectic during extended periods of stop-and-go driving.

Hitting the open road at last, I feel like a caged bird suddenly set free. The air becomes clean and pure as my car roars across a landscape filled with blinding yellow broom blossoms. Here and there, eucalyptus groves wave like a maiden's tresses in the breeze.

Orange poppies are splashed in random patterns across the dry earth and the jagged silhouette of the Andes fits neatly against a sapphire sky. The majority of Chile's 134,000 acres of vineyards occupy this kind of setting in the valleys outside Santiago.

Some of the wineries I visited are set up to receive visitors; others, which may still be under construction, are open by appointment only. When in doubt, it's best to call ahead.

Concha y Toro, an hour south of Santiago, has a well-designed tasting room and offers tours of the winery and remaining property. The classic Chilean manor house was built in 1885 as a home for the winery's founder, Don Melchor de Concha y Toro. It is surrounded by a splendid 24-hectare garden (maintained byx eight or nine full-time gardeners) that includes flower beds, rose arbors, tranquil ponds and magnificent old trees.

Noteworthy wines: In addition to its premium Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the highlights of Concha y Toro's production is Trio, a line of Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that was launched in 1996. The name symbolizes the concept of climate, soil and winemaker working together as one.

Vina Carmen, located in the foothills of the Andes, is about half an hour from Concha y Toro. Built in 1850, Carmen, like many older wineries in Chile, is undergoing expansion and modernization. Its new visitor's center and tasting room are scheduled for completion by 2000. Until then, a small stucco outbuilding serves the purpose.

Noteworthy wines: Ninety-nine percent of Carmen's wines are produced for the export market. The most distinctive among the generally fine Carmen offerings is Grande Vidure Cabernet, which is made from a blend of Carmere and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vina Santa Rita, located virtually next door to Carmen, offers a broad selection of styles and prices, starting with the basic "120" line that retails at about $6 per bottle, soaring upward to their Reserva line, Medalla Real line and the ultra-premium Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon, priced in the neighborhood of $25.

Noteworthy wines: Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon is truly a world-class offering.

Undurraga is owned by the family of the same name and has two facilities that are open to visitors. Fundo Santa Ana, an original 19th century whitewashed colonial villa set amid lush gardens, was designed by famous French landscaper George Dubois, a disciple of Le Notre, and is located 10 minutes southwest of Santiago. There's also a modern, new winemaking facility and vineyards, located a few hours south of Santiago in the Colchagua Valley, one of Chile's hot, new viticultural areas. In addition to visiting the tasting room, one can make arrangements to tour the vineyards on horseback or by horse-drawn carriage.

Noteworthy wines: Chardonnay, a lusty, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are Undurraga's hot tickets.

Montes, owned by four partners, including Aurelio Montes, the much-respected winemaker, has recently expanded its 19th century facility to include a state-of-the-art winery.

Noteworthy wines: Alpha, the top-of-the-line Montes wine, is a fine, rich Cabernet/Merlot blend.

Cousino-Macul, located in Santiago's southeastern section, offers winery tours. Visitors also are welcome in the tasting room, which houses a mini-museum that charts the property's long and colorful history. Vines were first planted on this spot (once the site of an Incan village called Macul) in the mid-1500s by an officer of the conquistadores . Macul had many different owners until 1856, when it was purchased by the Cousino family. Six generations later, the Cousinos are still there.

This family has been one of Chile's most successful entrepreneurial dynasties. In addition to the winery, their holdings over the centuries have included silver and copper mines, thoroughbred horses and shopping interests. The Cousinos founded Chile's silk industry, were involved in establishing the country's first railroad line and planted one of the most spectacular public parks in Santiago.

Noteworthy wines: Cousino-Macul are among Chile's most distinctive with layers of bright fruit flavors. The high-end Finis Terrae, made from 60-year-old Cabernet vines (blended with 50 percent Merlot) has aromas and flavors of herbs, cherries, mocha and berries.

Santa Carolina, Chile's second largest exporter, sources its grapes from many different regions, including the hot Maipo Valley, the cooler Maule Valley and the newest and currently most popular wine-growing region, the Casablanca Valley.

Noteworthy wines: Santa Carolina offers the classic varietals, among them the Reserva Merlot, a bargain at $9, which is a well-balanced wine with ripe, cherry flavors.

Domaine Paul Bruno, owned by Paul Pontallier (the director of Chateau Margaux) and Bruno Prats (owner of Cos d'Estournel and other Bordeaux properties), boasts a French connection that has critics convinced this is the Chilean winery to watch. Established in 1991, Domaine Paul Bruno, located in the Maipo Valley next to Cousino-Macul on the site of a former walnut and apricot orchard, is in the process of developing its visitor's center and tasting room.

Were it not for the mountain range framing the vineyards, one almost might think this is a Bordeaux chateau with its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines and its Cos d'Estournel-style tower. Yet, winemaker Felipe de Solminihac, himself a graduate of the University of Bordeaux, is not anxious to simply replicate Bordeaux.

"We want to maintain a Chilean style," he says. "I'm looking for finesse without oak, where the character of the grapes shines through."

Noteworthy wines: The wines have a district Bordeaux flair, with concentrated flavors of black fruit, cassis and a whiff of eucalyptus. Soft tannins flood the mouth, making one suddenly yearn for a grilled lamb chop.

Casa Lapostolle, owned by Don Jose Rabat and the Marnier-Lapostolle family (who are also the proprietors of Grand Marnier and Chateau de Sancerre), is strategically situated south of Santiago in the horseshoe-shaped Rapel Valley between the snowcapped Andes and the rugged Coastal Mountain chain. And, like most Chilean wineries, Casa Lapostolle owns vineyards in several other regions.

The Marnier-Lapostolles, who teamed up with Rabat in 1993, have completely replaced the original winemaking facility with a gleaming state-of-the-art winery designed to the specifications of their consultant, noted Bordeaux enologist Michel Rolland.

"Foreign investment in this dynamic wine region is soaring," says Rolland, "in part because of the increasing demand for premium varietal wines, especially reds, in the United States."

Noteworthy wines: The Chardonnays tend to be rich, with a pleasing, subtle herbaceous quality; the Cabernets are round, supple and very drinkable. The jewels in Casa Lapostolle's crown are its Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon -- wines of deep concentration and flavor.

Miguel Torres, located near Curico, is part of the international wine dynasty that also includes the Torres winery in Penedes, Spain, and California's Marimar Torres Estate. Miguel Torres was the first foreign wine entity to invest in Chile's potential with its 1979 purchase of 247 acres. It also was the first winery to introduce cold fermentation for white wines, along with modern winemaking techniques and equipment.

In addition to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Torres produces Manso de Velasco Cabernet Sauvignon, a must-try wine.

Veramonte, established by Napa Valley's Franciscan Estate under the visionary leadership of Agustin Huneeus (cq), began planting vineyards in 1990 west of Santiago in the Casablanca Valley. Veramonte crushed its first wines in 1996 and has already sold out its initial releases.

"It is a joy for me to offer wines from my home country," says Huneeus, a tireless promoter of the concepts of region and terroir.

"Chile is the future of wine."

Noteworthy wines: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Primus, a proprietary red blend, make up the Veramonte portfolio.

(With the exceptions of Undurraga and Cousino-Macul, these wineries are located in rural Chile. You may wish to call the winery for the exact address and directions.)

Concha y Toro, tel. 56-2-850-1599, fax 56-2-850-5416.

Vina Carmen, tel. 56-2-821-3755, fax 56-2-821-3740.

Vina Santa Rita, tel. 56-2-362-2101, fax 56-2-331-5159.

Undurraga, tel. 56-2-232-6687, no fax.

Montes, tel. 56-2-274-1703, no fax. Cousino-Macul, tel. 56-2-284-1011, no fax.

Santa Carolina, tel. 56-2-238-2855, fax 56-2-238-0307.

Domaine Paul Bruno, tel. 56-2-284-5470, fax 56-2-284-5469.

Casa Lapostolle, tel. 56-2-242-9774, fax 56-2-234-4563.

Miguel Torres, tel., 56-7-531-0455, fax 56-7-531-2355.

Veramonte, tel. 56-3-274-2421, fax 56-3-274-2420.

Copyright © 1999, Marguerite Thomas
Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate

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