Chile in Transition

BY JOAQUÍN HIDALGO | JUNE 09, 2022

Chile is undergoing a period of transformation. Most obviously, there has been a change in government following the hard-fought election of Gabriel Boric and a left-wing coalition to the Palacio de La Moneda seat of government. More broadly, the country is experiencing a profound social transformation represented by the drafting of a new constitution: no other political process promises such profound change. The constitutional assembly that emerged out of the social unrest of 2019 is scheduled to propose the new constitution in July this year, establishing the new rules under which the future of the country will play out. 

Ideas That Are Redefining the Country’s Wines

A good example of that transformation is the Water Law. In place since 1981, it administers the resource under the model of a commodity that can be accumulated like capital but will now be replaced by one that recognizes access to water as an essential, unalienable human right. In the midst of a water crisis – for the past 13 years a large part of the country has been suffering from drought – the change in how water is managed will be a very significant shift. This will have major consequences for the wine being produced now and in the future.    

Less obviously, the fact that the constitution will recognize Chile as a pluralist state will also have a major impact. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: a modern, export-oriented country run by an elite group with strong ties to the global economy will now be forced to accommodate rural sectors focused on local traditions. Of course, this is a global phenomenon, but the constitutional change makes it feel especially urgent in Chile right now. In the wine industry, the shift is reflected by the contrast between a core industry focusing its efforts and investments on the international market and small producers from remote areas such as Itata or Bio Bio who are rapidly gaining influence.

Here the transformation is slow but appears to be rapidly gaining in momentum. Following four decades in which production was business-aligned and focused on maximizing efficiency, today several stand-out producers are working very differently: some are turning to their heritage to write a new present for themselves with tools and ancestral knowledge from the past, others are focusing on peripheral terroirs to generate value and make room for their freewheeling stylistic forays, and still others are opting to reinterpret existing flavor profiles and exploring new sensory terrain. 

Straddling both worlds, I traveled to Chile earlier this year with many questions and an expectant palate at the ready. Across two weeks I visited around 40 producers between Aconcagua and Itata, experiencing many different landscapes and styles: from ancestral agricultural methods to highly technical innovations and fields mapped by drones. I also tasted a few bottles worth hearing about from the 1980s and even did some verticals from the nineties to the present (about which I’ll be writing shortly). I tasted the remainder at my desk upon my return. This report recounts the experience across 800 bottles, some of which were absolutely delicious, and shares a few ideas that arose during the tasting process regarding new paths and challenges for the future.

The vineyards of Maipo have a range of diverse soils. Some, planted in old river beds, have a classic alluvial make up with rounded stones as seen in the photo on the left (Santa Rita); while others, planted on hillsides, are classically colluvial with flat angular stones as seen on the right (Pérez Cruz).

A Broader, More Detailed Map

Hitting the nail on the head, “In Chile, we need to be less Maipo-centric,” Derek Mossman from Garage Wine remarked to me as we toured vineyards belonging to small producers he works with in Maule. While Maipo is the source of some of Chile’s most famous Cabernet Sauvignons, it’s actually a rather small region compared to others. The numbers speak for themselves: the 2020 vineyard survey (the latest available) shows that out of a total of 136,000 hectares under vine, Maipo accounts for 11,300 (5,800 of Cabernet Sauvignon) compared to 53,500 in Maule (15,500 of Cabernet Sauvignon) or 45,000 in Rapel (17,500 of Cabernet Sauvignon). And, while it’s true that volume rarely equates to quality in the world of wine, when it comes to stylistic variations the relative size of other regions acts as a natural counterweight to Maipo.

On a journey of just a few hours, for instance, you can set out on a cool, cloudy morning on the coast, cross rocky, granite rich mountains and descend into a warm central valley with deep soils, before climbing back up into the Andes where the cold temperatures return. In this varied geography, the DOs (Denomination of Origin) act rather like AVAs in the United States, drawn according to political boundaries rather than style or variety. However, some do manage to concentrate a few traits. They’re the first step toward understanding the terroirs and their potential in Chile. But only the first step. 

Using Cabernet Sauvignon as an example, it’s useful to think in terms of contrasts. On one hand, Maipo Andes has DOs such as Pirque (548ha), Buin (1184ha) and Puente Alto (276ha), where the terroirs are defined by their height of about 2,100 feet, continental location, alluvial soils and need for irrigation. Here, red fruit dominates accompanied by polished tannins, as seen in the 2019 Terrunyo, the 2018 Pérez Cruz Pircas, and the 2020 Vontade de Pirque. In Aconcagua (399ha), another valley with a similar profile, the flavors grow more intense along with a medium body and polished tannins: 2020 Arboleda or 2019 Don Max are good examples.

Elsewhere in the country, to the center and south of Maule, there are DOs such as San Javier (2990ha) or Cauquenes (2739ha) where vines are cultivated in low continental areas at 490 feet height in granite and clay soils. Here the Cabernets take on more dark fruit and body, occasionally with traces of liqueur as we see with the 2019 Garage Wine Co Renacido Vineyard - Lot 104, the 2020 Descomplicados or the 2019 Orzada.

Between these two extremes one finds places that haven’t been declared DOs such as Los Lingues and Totihue in Cachapoal, Rapel, which are more similar to what Maipo has to offer in terms of Cabernet, with dark and red fruit, medium body and tannins that range from polished to reactive such as the 2019 Koyle Royal, the 2014 Duque D’A, the 2019 Cabo de Hornos and the 2020 Casa Silva S38. Or there are DOs such as Peralillo (3025ha) or Marchigüe (1975ha) in Colchagua, as well as Rapel, which is similar to Cauquenes, where the soils are clay-based, and the dark and red fruit flavors unfold as part of structured palates, with voluminous tannins and hefty body such as the 2018 Los Vascos Le Dix and the 2020 Montes Alpha.

Expanding our attention to other varieties, producers are making an effort to reflect these variations with clearer labeling about the point of origin. Chile boasts a vast range of distinct terroirs whose exploration is only just beginning. Major change looks likely to come in the medium term. 

The difficulty when it comes to interpreting terroirs in Chile is clear: the same grape varieties are planted almost everywhere – with the exception of the coast and the south, which I’ll discuss later on – a Maipo-centric, market-oriented inheritance. This makes them very different to DOs elsewhere in the world, where terroirs and specific grape varieties tend to go hand in hand. So much so that I heard a producer in Lolol declare proudly as he pointed at a couple of blocks separated by a narrow alley: “this terroir is so perfect that Sauvignon Blanc and Carménère (varieties with very different growth cycles) both ripen very well.” His approach is hardly an exception.

The fermentation facility at Clos Apalta, with its oak frustum vessels. The winery is built into the rock and has five underground levels.

The Subtle Accents of Carménère