|
 TM
Veramonte reshapes Chilean fine wine
By Darryl Beeson
The Verampnte vineyard is the largest contiguous vineyard
in Chile. It stretches over 350 hectares in the prime growing area of Chile's
Casablanca Valley. In 1990, Agustin Huneeus chose this site for Veramonte
recognizing that the microclimates and soils of this valley are similar to
California's prestigious Napa Valley's Carneros winegrowing region. They
carefully manage yields by "dropping crop," controlling irrigation and
experimenting with different pruning techniques. They limit yields to 5-7 tons
per hectare, resulting in highest quality grapes with intense flavor and
concentration. More information is at
www.veramonte.com.
Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley 2005
Price $10
Rating 92
The nose is vibrant with grapefruit, grass and melon. The sip enters with soft
grapefruit and mineral in the long length on the palate. "Casablanca Valley in
Chile is the premier place in the southern hemisphere to grow Sauvignon Blanc,"
proclaims wine maker Rafael Tirado. "It ripens to perfection with rich fruit
flavors complemented by lively acidity. Our Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in
our estate vineyards with well-drained, sandy decomposed granite and alluvial
soils. Warm days and cool nights are the signature conditions of the dry growing
season."
Serve this crisp white with boneless chicken breast
(pounded, breaded and crisply sauteed, served in a citrus butter), with pasta in
a cream sauce, or with harder cheese selections like thinly sliced Romano. Then
again, enjoy this crisp, grassy white alone, as a refreshing apertif.
Veramonte Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley 2004
Price $14.99
Rating 89
The nose is balanced with apple, pear and soft oak influences. The sip is crisp
and refreshing, with treefruit and tropical melon in the mix. "Veramonte's
Casablanca Valley is surrounded by coastal mountain ranges creating a diversity
of unique microclimates and terroirs," says wine maker Rafael Tirado. "Its close
proximity to the Pacific Ocean provides ideal growing and ripening conditions
for Chardonnay. The valley floor provides a cool Carneros-like climate, while
the terraced hillside blocks have warmer temperatures, similar to the northern
Napa Valley.
Pair this Chardonnay with all kinds of pasta, especially in
a seafood sauce, roasted chicken with fresh herbs, veal sausage with brown
mustard, or with a chicken Caesar salad.
Veramonte Reserve Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley 2003
Price $20
Rating 93
The nose is powerful with pear, and assertive, toasty oak. The sip is more
gentle and elegant with flavors of pear, apple, and toasty hazelnut in the long,
but delicate length. 90% of this Chardonnay was fermented in French barrels. The
acidity is crisp making this an excellent wine for pairing with food.
Serve this important white wine with lusty prawns in citrus
butter, firmer fleshed fish, or with pasta in a cream based sauce.
Veramonte Reserve Merlot, Casablanca Valley 2002
Price $20
Rating 91
The nose is bright with spiced plum and wild berries. The sip leads with
raspberry, plum the mocha richness rises along with soft oak and mineral
complexity. Serve this limited production Merlot with lamb in a spiced berry
sauce, or with venison in a juniper and black pepper sauce, with grilled green
onions.
Veramonte Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley 2002
Price $20
Rating 93
The nose is powerful and complex with cassis, black fruit, leather, mineral and
Bordeaux-like pencil shavings. There are flavors of dark fruit, soft oak and
tannins, with leather and mineral in the long, elegant finish. Serve this red
with tender, rare filet of beef in a mushroom sauce with cheese polenta, or for
fun with gourmet meatloaf.
Veramonte Primus Red, Casablanca Valley 2003
Price $18
Rating 92
The blend is composed of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, approximately
broken down into thirds. The nose is big with ripe plum, mulberry and spice.
Then there are flavors of red cherry, leather, pepper and exotic Asian spice
within the long length on the palate. Serve this vibrant red wine blend with
grilled pork in spiced fruit sauce, grilled lamb, or with pasta in a lusty red
meat sauce.
The winery at Veramonte is a state-of-the-art, modern
winemaking facility designed by one of Chile's foremost leading architects,
Jorge Swinburn. Opened in 1998, the close to 8,000-square meter winery includes
the latest technology in bottling lines, gravity-fed fermentors and ultra-modern
stainless steel tanks. It is also designed for small-lot winemaking, allowing
separate fermentation and aging of individual vineyard blocks and experimental
vineyard plots. Watch this winery in the near future.
---
Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine
finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., “Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do
it.”
Back to TravelLady Magazine |
|