Is that a dead bird in your Chile or are you just happy to see me?

Phylloxera (Phil-ux-era). No this is not the Vegas hotel where Chris Angel isn’t fooling anybody. It is a miniscule plant eating insect that pretty much destroys everything in its path. This tiny little bugger (get it?) is responsible for eating away the roots and destroying more vineyards in the world than anything else. So much destruction in fact, that pretty much every single wine region in the Frakin world has been almost completely decimated by it. Its like Dr. Evil except successful. Consider it like getting crabs for grape vines. Except instead of just causing major scratchage in your bathing suit area, it spread EVERYWHERE!!

-Where did it originate? America
-Where did it first reek Havoc? France, mid 1800s, after they imported native American grape vines that were infested with Phylloxera.
-How was it stopped? Indigenous American grape vines were immune to the thing. So the French started grafting their grape vines onto Native American roots. Oh America, trying to fix everybody else’s problems except our own.

(Even our friggin bugs hate the French.) Anyhoo….

There are only 2 wine regions in the world that have never been affected by Phylloxera. Argentina and Chile.

Why Argentina? I’ll tell you later
Why Chile? I’ll tell you now

Chile is 110 miles (on average) wide and about 2,700 miles long. This John Holmes like country is protected on both sides. The Andes Mountains to the east and the lesser known body of water to the west. The small pond known as the PACIFIC OCEAN! This complete isolation has prevented Phylloxera and other major vine killing bacteria from ever reaching this fine phallic land. Not only is this thing free from most pests, it is also pretty much one of the most ideal wine growing regions in the world; With natural irrigation from the water run off of the snow capped Andes mountains, and the frequent warm days and cool nights during the grape growing season. (ideal from most grape varietals)

So seeing as this seems like wine making paradise, why isn’t Chilean wine more on our radar? And why was Fred Savages character in The Princess Bride a Bears fan?

Wine has been made there for hundreds of years. The only problem is there were no real wine laws in this country until the 1980s. So there were a few….how do I say… sanitary issues. Besides having bugs and rodents (and I wouldn’t be surprised, pee) being a common frequenter to the many fermented grape juice swimming pools that people would eventually drink from, birds would literally drop from the sky into open aired tanks of fermenting wine (like... EWW!).

Back in the day they had these giant concrete bowls that were built into the ground where the wine fermentation would take place:

Fermentation= Yeast is added to the sugar to make alcohol.

In these concrete bowls Carbon Dioxide is produced and released during the fermentation process. As the Co2 would climb into the air, birds passing by would catch a wiff, pass out, and drop from the sky into the vats. Scouts Honor!!

I can only imagine this made for some pretty delicious wine… NOT!

In my research for this fine blog entry I have stumbled across a tasting note from the early 20th century from the great wine writer Juan de la Vega Gonzales Amigo. Here is what he said. (Loosly translated of course)

Looks cloudy in the glass, deep crimson color with a kind of yellowy brown core.

Smells kind of funky. Like wet feather. Definitely some dirt and something else I can’t quite pinpoint.

Just tasted and am now able to pinpoint what I smelt. Its like dirty wet concrete mixed with wormy bird breath that finishes with mule butt and grasshopper. There is nice acid though but that could just be from the pee.

Fast forward to the 1980s after many great wine makers from all over the world have caught on to the ideal grape growing region, and a few wine laws are in place, we now have the Chilean wines we know today. They are producing, I feel, some of the best value in the market. Their 15$ cabernet sauvignon price point I think is on par with the 30 to 40$ price point of California Cab Sauvs. Absolutely fantastic, rich, and complex wines are coming out of this region. Any wine appreciator needs to put their explorer cap on and start drinkin these wines. We are lucky here in the US as we import a crap ton of the stuff. Only 2 other countries do we import more wine from: France and Italy. High end wines from Chile are now recognized as being as good as most high end wine from most other major wine players, and are still selling for under 100$. At the important consumer value ratio of quality/price, Chile is unmatched. Like I said the 15$ price point on Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is the best value in the market. And it is only a matter of time before these prices start jumping.

Mule Butt and Grasshoppers anyone?




Wine Tasted: Casa Lapostolle - Cuvee Alexandra - Apalta Vineyard - Cabernet Sauvignon - 2006

This winery is owned and run by Alexandra Marnier. Yes that Marnier. She is of the Grand Marnier family and moved to Chile to start the state of the art winery Casa Lapostolle. Many of her wines are regarded as being some of the best coming out of Chile if not the world.

Beautiful deep dark Black Cherry Red color. Almost kind of a magenta like brightness. Very vibrant color.

Coffee, Black Currants, Dusty Earth, Dry Stones. Tobacco. There is 14.5% alcohol on this thing but I am not feeling that on the nose. Good start so far.

Wow this is a BIG BOY!!! Don't let him sit on your lap. Very dry. Pomegranites on the attack. There is some decent grippy tannin on this guy. Gets a little hot in the back. Definatley some spicy black currants. Plums. Spicy wood as well. I really like the spice on this guy. Nice structure. Really great mouth feel for a wine of 15$. Graphite/pencil lead, hint of cocoa. Really lush mouth feel. This guy needs a big ol' steak. The finish is decently long with lots of spicy wood lingering in the mouth. Really enjoyable this wine is (says Yoda). I am telling you this 15$ Chilean manchild is drinking as well as some 30$ even 40$ California Cabs. There is not the big juicy fruit that you find in most of those Cali boys but there is alot going on. If you need a cab fix and want to spend less than 20$. You will not be able to come close to this. Do yourself a favor. buy 2 bottles. You will be happy you did.

Casa Lapostlle makes an estate bottled cab for 10$ that is fantastic for that price as well. Not in the same league as the Cuvee Alexandra I reviewed above. But nonetheless a rediculous buy for 10$ and under cabs. By far the best cab I have ever encountered for that price. BUY BUY BUY.

Readily Available Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Producers of note;
Casa Lapostolle
Concha y Toro
Montes Alpha