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The Land Whispers… You Just Need To Listen
I love wine dinners. Especially the wine dinners with the winemaker.
I dread wine dinners. Especially the wine dinners with the winemaker.
I know, I don’t make much sense at the moment. Wine dinners are wonderful, and I really do love them. The dreadful part comes from the experience of not being able to write about those wine dinners in a timely fashion. “Timely fashion”, huh – there are wine dinners I never wrote about in 5 years and such memories can hunt you down – they definitely do for me. I don’t know why this is happening on a regular basis – the elation often experienced during open and engaging conversations about wine becomes an ephemeral spirit, woefully resistful and easily escaping the slightest attempt to capture it in the form of words…
Let’s see if I will be able to break my unsettling tradition.
Last week I had a wonderful time and experience tasting the wines of Viñedos Veramonte and speaking with Gonzalo Bertelsen, General Manager and Head Winemaker in a small group of wine lovers, around the dinner table at the Monterey Brasserie in New York. The conversation topics were ranging from low-alcohol wines (is that really a trend? Are people really asking for it or is that just a gimmick?) to the production of organic and biodynamic wines to “why Germans don’t want to drink organic wines from Chile” (I will not tell you why but you are welcome to guess) and to many other far and between. But most importantly we got to enjoy Viñedos Veramonte wines with and without the food.
Viñedos Veramonte was one of the first wineries in the Casablanca region, founded in 1990 by Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean wine pioneer. From the very beginning, the winery embraced organic viticulture – and more recently, the winery spent more than 6 years making estate vineyards officially organic certified, obtaining ECOCERT® organic certification, one of the most respected in the world. The project involved the conversion of more than 1,200 acres of vineyards in Casablanca and Colchagua valleys to organic and biodynamic farming, with the aim to also become fully Demeter’s biodynamic certified – which requires making changes in the winery, not only in the vineyard – plus importers also have to be biodynamic certified.
Viñedos Veramonte produces 4 distinct lines of wines – Veramonte, Ritual, Primus, and Neyen – all from organic grapes, of course. We had an opportunity to taste wines from all 4 lines.
We started with the 2022 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Casablanca Valley ($13.99 SRP). This wine has one of the biggest productions, and it is very important for Veramonte. Preserving freshness is paramount, so special care is taken to prevent any oxidation of the grapes and juice, and the wine is bottled as soon as possible. The wine was herbaceous and crisp, delicious on its own but also nicely supporting our first course – Grande Plateau of seafood containing oysters, clams, tuna tartare, and lobster. The Sauvignon Blanc pairing with the oysters was the best – and the oysters were delicious, probably my favorite component of the Grand Plateau.
Next, we moved on to the 2019 Ritual Chardonnay Casablanca Valley ($20.99 SRP, fermented in oak barrels and concrete tanks). I wrote about Ritual wines many times, last time only a few months ago – the wines are consistently delicious. The wine was paired with a choice of appetizer – crispy artichokes or barbecued prawns. I selected crispy artichokes, forgetting that artichokes are notoriously difficult to be paired with wine. The dish was delicious on its own, and the wine was also good – on its own.
We also tried the 2020 Primus Carmenere Apalta DO ($20.99 SRP) with our appetizer course. The wine was excellent and had a nice profile of cassis supported by the bell peppers, showing off the pyrazines. Some of the winemakers are trying to prevent the pyrazines from showing up by changing growing conditions, harvesting regime and more – but I personally enjoy the pyrazines’ flavor very much, it adds to the authenticity of the wine. While Carmenere was still not a perfect match for the artichokes, it offered a bit better pairing than the Chardonnay.
Now we were ready for the main course, and the new wine arrived.
Last December I had an opportunity to try for the first time yet another Veramonte wine called Neyen. Neyen vineyards are located on a small parcel of land situated between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Range. Neyen wines are literally always a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Carmenere, both coming from truly the old vines – Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1889, joined by Carmenere in 1936, which makes the vines respectively 134 and 87 years old.
In the local dialect, Neyen means “whisper”. The land whispers, you only need to listen to her – low intervention is what the Neyen winemakers practice. And this is the whisper you can taste.
The wine literally stopped me in my tracks. You know that stupid smile that you can’t control when something good is happening? This was my face upon the first whiff of the 2003 Neyen Espíritu de Apalta Apalta DO ($N/A) – the first vintage of Neyen wine ever produced. The time stopped – there was only the endless pleasure of aromatics that only mature wine can bring.
Time, wait. Don’t move. I’m still enjoying it. Please, just a few more moments.
Cassis and eucalyptus on the nose. Cassis and eucalyptus on the palate, silky smooth, perfectly integrated tannins, full body of the mature wine at its absolute peak, pleasure slowly descending layer after layer. This is the case where the words are clearly insufficient to describe the joy of the oenophile, but I hope I offered at least a glimpse.
For the main course, I selected Bluefin Tuna au Poivre with baby beets and citrus sauce – and to my delight, the 2003 Neyen offered a perfect pairing, elevating every bite of the food.
We also had the 2016 Neyen, Espíritu de Apalta Apalta DO ($N/A). Tasting 2016 after 2003 was somewhat of a mistake. 2016 is an excellent wine, but the beautiful core we were able to experience in 2003 was still covered by layers of baby fat, the wine showing a lot richer, almost jammy on the first sip, and in need of time to open up.
The culmination point of our evening, though, was … a bit unexpectedly, as we are talking about Chilean wines … the Malbec. 2019 Neyen Espíritu de Apalta Malbec Apalta DO ($149.99 SRP). 2016 was the first released vintage of this super low-intervention wine – harvested and destemmed by hand, fermented in small tanks, no machines, no electricity used in the production of this wine, aging only in 3rd and 4th use French oak barrels. This is the crown jewel of the Veramonte Neyen collection – even James Suckling agrees, rating this wine at 100 points. Only 200 cases of the wine were produced in 2019, with the US allocation standing at 40 cases.
The main word I would use to describe this wine would be “elegant”. The wine was showing beautiful eucalyptus notes, a lot leaner than most of the Argentinian Malbecs, begging comparison with old world Malbec, the Cahors. Elegant, layered, delicious.
And this, my friends, brings us to the end of the wonderful evening. The company was great, the food was excellent, the wines were amazing.
Mother Nature whispers, and good things happen when we listen. I wish I had a case of this 2003 Neyen Espiritu de Apalta – that would really make me happy. Well, we generally don’t get to have all the things we want – and I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience such wines at least once.
Veramonte wines offer a great selection for every budget and every palate – check them out when you will have a chance. Cheers!
Made With Organic Grapes: A Few Wines From Chile
Chile is a unique winemaking place.
So is each and every wine region in the world – each wine region, big, small, or tiny, can safely state the same – they all have something unique about them, aren’t they?
But really, Chile is unique.
Chile is literally the only wine region in the world untouched by the blight of phylloxera. While it is a big deal, it is not all.
It is easy to grow grapes organically in Chile. The absolute majority of the rain falls in winter, and Chilean vineyards generally enjoy the dry growing season. Dry growing season means no need to worry about fungi, which is where most of the “inorganic” efforts typically go. And Chilean winemakers take advantage of this fact, actively pursuing organic, sustainable, and biodynamic winemaking. Taking its inspiration from the association of organic winegrowers of New Zealand, leading Chilean wineries, such as Viña Emiliana, Odfell, Koyle, Viña Miguel Torres Chile, are all joining forces to create a similar organization that will help with the promotion of Chilean organic wines around the world.
Let’s take a look at a few examples of Chilean organic wines.
Viñedos Veramonte was founded by Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean wine pioneer, in 1990, one of the first wineries in Casablanca Valley. Veramonte’s journey started with Sauvignon Blanc, gradually adding all of the traditional Chilean varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and more. In 2019, the winery obtained ECOCERT® organic certification, after 6 years-long journey. The project involved the conversion of more than 1,200 acres of vineyards in Casablanca and Colchagua valleys to organic and biodynamic farming (full Demeter’s biodynamic certification is the next goal). The wine I had an opportunity to taste was Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon:
2019 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Colchagua Valley (14% ABV, $11.99, made with organic grapes, Vegan, Certified Sustainable)
Dark garnet
Bell pepper, tobacco
A touch of cassis, tart, medium body, minerality, green notes
7/7+, I would prefer more fruit
The same Agustin Huneeus founded Primus winery more than 20 years ago. The word Primus comes from Latin and it means “the first” or “the first among others”. Primus was one of the very first to create the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, which became the standard wine of the winery throughout all the years, joined by single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere wines. The fruit for The Blend comes from Marchigue, a sub-region of Colchagua, and Maipo, from all-organic vineyards.
2018 Primus Red Blend Apalta Colchagua Valley (13.5% ABV, $18.99, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carménère, 10% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Franc, Vegan, Certified Sustainable)
Dark ruby
Cassis, Cherries
Soft, easy to drink, medium body, cassis, cherries, well balanced
8-, good aging potential
Ritual is located in the eastern corner of the Casablanca Valley, not far from the Pacific Ocean. All organic vineyards are surrounded by 6,000 acres of natural forest, which enforces biodiversity and helps with organic and sustainable farming. The estate approaches organic winemaking from all possible angles, making compost from stems and pomace, using cover crops to protect the soil, using sheep to mow the grass and fertilize. Everything in the vineyard and in the winery is done in full harmony with nature.
2017 Ritual Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley (13.5% ABV, $19.99, certified organic vineyards)
Dark garnet
Smoke, plums, minerality
Cherries, plums, violets, herbs, round, soft, restrained, good acidity, clean finish, perfectly balanced.
8, a long-haul wine. Should definitely improve over the next 5-7 years, might be considerably longer.
Here you are my friends – a few of the organic wines from Chile which you should feel good about drinking.
It is not just organic – Chile is leading the world in sustainable winemaking, and we will talk about it in a few days. Stay tuned…
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Made With Organic Grapes: Find Your Ritual
The world of wine is full of eternal questions. Here is one of the most prolific ones: where is the wine made – in the vineyard or at the winery?
Many would argue that, of course, the wine is made in the vineyard. To make good wine you have to start with good grapes. You need good, healthy, properly ripened grapes to make good wine. “Good grapes” might seem obvious as a concept, but it actually entails a lot of hard work, love, and care, from the moment the first bud will appear on the vine (and even before that) until the moment when harvested grapes are reaching the winery. “Good grapes” are not defined by the taste alone – it is important how the grapes were growing, were any pesticides used, were all the methods organic, or better yet, sustainable? “Good grapes” for sure means a lot of work.
Then some might argue that no matter how good the grapes are if the winemaker will not take good care of the grapes from the moment grapes arrived at the winery, the good grapes will not result in good wine. How the grapes were manipulated from the very beginning – sorting, cleaning, de-stemming, pressing, fermenting, aging, storing – each of these steps has to be performed properly, as even the very best grapes will not convert themselves into the good wine.
Source: Ritual Winery
Source: Ritual Winery
The folks at Ritual winery in Chile clearly don’t want to answer this eternal question. Or rather their answer is “both”. Estate vineyards in the eastern part of the Casablanca Valley in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean are surrounded by 6,000 acres of the native forest, creating a unique biome. All the vineyards are certified organic. Estate uses its own compost, made out of the pomace and manure of the local animals. Sheep help mow the grass and fertilize the vines.
The grapes are hand-harvested early in the cool morning at the first sunlight. After sorting, the grapes are fermented in the open-top tanks, using basket press and native yeast. To achieve desired characteristics, 4 different vessels are used for the aging of the wines: Oak Barrels to enhance the structure, Concrete eggs for the texture, Stainless steel Drums elevate freshness, and Stainless steel Tanks help with aromatics.
Below are my tasting notes, where you can also see all the different vessels used to produce particular wines:
2018 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley (14% ABV, $19.99, organic grapes, 8 months in stainless steel, concrete eggs and neutral barrels)
Light golden
Very complex, white stone fruit, good minerality, fresh herbs
Round and velvety, creamy texture, a hint of vanilla, even butter, nice lemon core, clean and crisp finish
8+/9-, outstanding. A different and delicious Sauvignon Blanc. Borderline a Chardonnay experience.
2019 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley (13.5% ABV, $19.99, organic grapes, fermented and aged for 8 months in concrete eggs, neutral oak, and stainless steel)
Light golden color
The nose is not very expressive, minerality, a hint of whitestone fruit
On the palate, a full spectrum, changing as the wine warms up – starting from steely Muscadet-like acidity, adding a bit of the creaminess after a few minutes in the glass, and then showing Chardonnay-like fuller-bodied notes and expressive minerality.
8/8+, Delicious
2018 Ritual Chardonnay Casablanca Valley (13.5% ABV, $20.99, aged in concrete eggs and French oak barrels)
Light Golden
Characteristic touch of vanilla and apple on the palate, a whiff of honey
Vanilla, apple, a hint of butter in the palate, perfect balance, crisp acidity, wow, a superb rendition of Chardonnay. Give it 5–10 years, and it will rival the white burgundy.
8, Outstanding
2017 Ritual Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley (13.5% ABV, $21.99, aged 11 months in French oak barrels)
Dark Ruby
The dusty nose of fresh plums with a touch of vanilla
Plums, violets, a touch of mocha, good acidity, fresh, excellent balance
8+, delicious from the get-go
Tasting Ritual wines will not help us to find an answer to our eternal question – these wines are clearly made both in the vineyard and at the winery. Have you tried any of these wines? If you did, I guess you already found your Ritual, if not – well, here is your chance.
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