Recently I interviewed both halves of Cultivar Vinos on Episode 137 of The Vincast wine podcast – Lucy Kendall and Alice L’Estrange – and some time ago Alice gave me some bottles they have imported from Chile. Here are my notes on the wines I tasted over a few weeks. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Chile
The Vincast with Alice L’Estrange from Cultivar Vinos & George Wines
Alice L’Estrange is undoubtedly a lover of culture and language, so it is unsurprising that she got into wines from Chile. While spending a year living in Mexico improving her Spanish, she gained an appreciation for the purity of farming and natural agricultural produce, but it was her friend Lucy who introduced her to wine. After a fateful evening and a fateful bottle, they decided to do something wine-related, and Cultivar Vinos was that something.
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The Vincast with Lucy Kendall from Cultivar Vinos & George Wines
Lucy Kendall has managed to fit in quite a bit of winemaking experience in a relatively short amount of time, both in Australia and overseas. Thanks to her BFF Alice she got the opportunity to not only make wine in Chile, but also import some to Australia via Cultivar Vinos and give trade and consumers the opportunity to see authentic traditional Chilean wines. More recently she and Alice have been making wine closer to home and are about to launch them under the George brand.
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Lucy Kendall from Cultivar Vinos and George Wines
The Vincast with Amanda Barnes Around the World in 80 Harvests
It was the lure of the exotic that brought Amanda Barnes – a journalist and writer from Hampshire, England – to South America. Surprisingly it wasn’t until she arrived in Argentina that she discovered a passion for wine and food, and was particularly seduced by the Mendoza region. As she discovered Chile and other parts of the continent, she carved a niche in writing about food, wine and travel in Latin America. Now she is embarking on a journey of truly epic proportions, attempting to visit 42 wine-producing countries during their vintages in the space of two years. Every step will be chronicled and communicated extensively, with the idea of subscribers joining the odyssey through a number of different media. On this episode of The Vincast Amanda talks about how she became such an authority of the wines of South America, and how she conceived of this ambitious concept to travel Around the World in 80 Harvests.
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Amanda Barnes
The Vincast Episode with Gilles Lapalus from Maidenii
Gilles Lapalus was “born in a barrel”, as wine is in his family in the Burgundy region of France. After working for many years in different roles he took a trip to the furthest place he could think of, Australia. It was here that he was not only introduced to the “new world” of wine, but also his partner. Gaining experience in South and North America, he pursued further projects in France and Italy before he was lured back to Australia and became the winemaker at Sutton Grange just outside Melbourne. During his tenure he introduced many elements to the brand, and also launched a vermouth to a thirsty Melbourne bar scene.
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Gilles Lapalus from Maidenii
The Vincast with Johannes Hasselbach from Weingut Gunderloch
Weingut Gunderloch in the Rheinhessen region of Germany is one the greatest wineries in Europe if you are in the know. They are the only winery in the world to have received 100 points for the same wine in three separate vintages, for their incredibly rare trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). Johannes Hasselbach hadn’t intended on running his family’s estate, until in 2010 when his father became ill (since recovered), and his sister who had been involved with the winemaking relocating to Austria to work with her husband. An intrepid philosophy led Johannes to travel and explore, and he has slowly began to introduce this into the winery since then. He joined me in the Treasury Gardens of Melbourne on a sunny morning to talk about his journey.
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Johannes Hasselbach from Weingut Gunderloch working hard in the vineyard
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Sommeliers Australia South America Tasting – 30/04/2013
Colome Torrontes 2011, Salta Argentina
Extremely pretty floral notes, honeysuckle blossom, musky gewürztraminer style, classic aromatics for the variety. Volumous warmth and fruit intensity, mostly on the front palate, dense minerality, nice clean pure expression.
Trumpeter ‘Reserve’ Torrontes 2009, Mendoza Argentina
Slightly more muted darker dried fruit aromas, more struck flint. Less interesting but more carry through on the palate, quite neutral safe wine without much life, but consistent.
Bouza Albarino 2012, Canalones & Montevideo Uruguay
Interesting and inviting, sweet floral honey, generous but not bright and mineralic like those from Rias Baixas. Intense full bold apricot peach, good balance and integrity, broad yet focused, full expression.
Vina Ventisquero Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Casablanca Valley Chile
Grassy fig skin and asparagus. Intense bright and fresh yet simple, crisp dry and friendly, not enough fruit ripeness.
Chacra Pinot Noir 2010, Rio Negro Argentina
Dusty chocolatey black cherries, carob and crushed raspberry. Bold and intense but light dry and balanced, lacking focus but not drive, nice gentle but firm tannins.
Vina Ventisquero Pinot Noir Reserva 2011, Casablanca Valley Chile
Pulverised earthy grainy blackberries, overworked and grainy. Lacking fruit plumpness and sweetness for the amount of maceration and oak.
Carrau Ysern Tannat 2007, Montevideo Uruguay
Dirty funky stinky dark plum earth fruits. Tannins build on the palate, bold fruit juicy intense but surprisingly fresh dark fruits. Warm to be certain but balanced.
De Martino ‘347’ Carmenere Reserva 2011, Maipo Cachapoal & Maule Chile
Very green and herbal olive notes. Slightly cooked maderised notes, dense earthy spicy complex, herbal yet savoury red fruits, unique.
Vina Ventisquero Quelat Carmenere 2010, Maipo Chile
A little flat and dull, earthy. Hot and a little heavy, a bit too oaky lacking elegance.
JED Malbec 2012, Uco Valley Argentina
Very bright and intense. Wonderful core of sweet juicy dark fruit, ripe bold velvety and intense, excellent varietal character.
Vina Ventisquero ‘Quelat’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Maipo Chile
Juicy juby blackcurrant, intense yet fresh, hot out of balance a little. Nice clean finish, dusty and fairly typical soft wine.
Vinicola Miolo ‘Gran Lovara’ Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Tannat 2005, Serra Gaucha Brazil
Quite strange, wild rustic oxidised. Flat bland flabby overworked crap.
Errazuriz ‘Max Reserve’ Carmenere 2010, Aconcagua Chile
Dusty earthy bright black fruit plums. Juicy soft yet structured, bright intense yet not heavy. Classic modern Chilean carmenere.
Rutini Malbec 2009, Mendoza Argentina
VERY interesting. Soft subtle savoury generous haunting elegant restrained.
Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2011, Mendoza Argentina
A little toasty hot and extractive, balanced full structured character, not too hot, still bright.
Vinedo de los Vientos Tanna 2008, Canelones Uruguay
Big blousy bright dark fruits. Tannic grippy a little hot and intense, alcohol blown off, intense a little cooked.
Vinedo de los Vientos ‘Alcyone’ Tannat Reserve 2007, Canelones Uruguay
Like chocolate port.
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Almaviva – 13/12/2011
Almaviva 2005
New world bottle development, dried cranberries, very dark carob. Great balance, nicely aged, oak still quite prominent, slightly hollow mid-palate, good earthy tar length.
Almaviva 2007
Tighter more brooding and oaky, really intense, oak totally dominates. Fruit very shy and subtle, classic cassis and leather, very ripe.
Almaviva 2009
Very dusty, slightly smoky, great harmony between fruit oak and alcohol. Great vibrancy, velvety and accessible, Freshness of fruit yet complex, beautiful and soft.
Almaviva
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Antiyal – 13/12/2011
Kuyen 2009
Strawberries and cream, good earthy red currants, almond oil. Extremely intense, very tight, full flavoured but not hot, harmonious fruit balance.
Antiyal 2009
Dusty cilantro cumin and cassis, very closed, somewhat volatile. Luxurious velvety tannins, extremely bright black fruit, leathery earth late on the palate, good dirty grainy tannins, juicy red raspberries and blueberries.
Antiyal 2009
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Perez Cruz – 13/12/2011
Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2010
Nice dustiness with earthiness but slightly sweet, not heavy, very tight, oak pretty locked up.
Carmenere Limited Edition 2010
Hints of cocoa and violets, slightly spicy and herby, sensational balance, incredible length and structure, gorgeous fruit, nice red currants, acids are harmonious.
Chaski Petit Verdot 2008
Ribena spice, hints of tomato leaf and oregano, luxuriously inviting nose. Deep dark rich, very intense spicy and dark fruit, fairly hot, not enough length.
Perez Cruz wines
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