Caliterra

B.C. sippers with long memories may recall the birth of Caliterra back in 1989, when it was solely owned by the Eduardo Chadwick family, which also has Viña Errazuriz. There was some confusion at that time because some saw it as a second label at Errazuriz, while Caliterra was really more of a stand-alone brand that became an overnight success in Europe and North America - mostly on the strength of clean, fresh, well-made varietals that were very inexpensive. Not bound by traditions, Caliterra focused on uncovering new vineyard sources that would fuel its desire to release authentic varietals. Its name springs from the Chilean expression "la calidad de la tierra," which combines quality (calidad) and the "finest land" (tierra). In 1996, Caliterra became much more than a brand when the Chadwicks entered into a partnership with California's first family of wine, the Robert Mondavi organization. Viticulturists Pedro Izquierdo of Chile and Andy Bledsoe of California immediately began comparing notes and collaborating on all aspects of winegrowing. After exploring many regions and producing a wide range of regional wines, Caliterra-the-brand became part of La Arboleda, a premium, built-from-the-ground-up wine estate located at Colchagua, 250 kilometres south of Santiago. In 1998, Caliterra crushed its first vintage at La Arboleda, and in '99 the first of several new La Arboleda wines were released. Today's column looks at a mix of the current Caliterra labels and previews three Arboleda labels that are expected to be on the shelves of private wine stores by April. For inexplicable reasons, much of the North American wine trade looks down its nose at Chilean wine selling for more than $15, effectively blocking their placement in retail stores, so it's encouraging to see these listings coming to Vancouver. Now, on to the wine. The sauvignon blanc opens with a fresh floral nose of grapefruit and lemon rind. On the palate, the creamy texture (a result of the wine remaining on its lees in tank until one month before bottling) gives way to light but lively melon/grapefruit flavours and a dry finish. The Caliterra merlot, which has had a checkered history in my ratings, proves to be soft and seductive, with spicy, smoky prune aromas and streaks of leafy tobacco. The blend, which includes seven per cent cabernet sauvignon and 25 percent carmenère, tastes of dried cherries and smoky, vanilla mocha chocolate. The price may be low, but the finish is long and tasty. The Arboleda merlot is a big jump up in flavour and quality. Look for rich, spicy, sweet vanilla/oak aromas followed by sweaty leather scents. Spicy vanilla/plum fruit fills the mouth before finishing with smoky oak and slightly dry tannins. This red needs another year or two to reach its peak. The Arboleda cabernet sauvignon is what this estate is all about. The new winery was made for cabernet and vintages like this 1999. Here it has produced attractive, rich, blackberry and cassis jam aromas and smoky sweaty leather overtones. Similar flavours mark this medium-weight, chewy red with earthy tobacco streaks in the finish. There is still some tannin to shed. My final pairing featured two very different wines made from the same grape. The inexpensive Caliterra syrah, made with contracted fruit, has an intriguing sweaty/gamey nose with blackberry and garrigue notes. On the palate it is soft and round, with good fruit and a dry, meaty finish. It's a gutsy little red, priced fairly, that's perfect for grill meats. The 2000 Arboleda syrah is from only the second crop of this grape picked at La Arboleda. It makes up 85 per cent of the blend with an additional 15 per cent Maipo cabernet for weight. Look for intense, spicy, peppery notes of black cherry and cassis, with lots of smoky vanilla and oak. The flavours are similarly intense, with quite a whack of oak and black cherries. That said, it tends to be more Euro in style, with beautiful rich dark-berry fruit characters. It should fly off the shelves in April. Weekend Wine Tasting: Caliterra, Chile Wine Caliterra 2001 Sauvignon Blanc, Valle Central Price $10.95 Stock No. 275909 Score 13/20 Remarks Soft, creamy, lemon rind. Wine Caliterra 2000 Merlot, Valle Central Price $12.95 Stock No. 466482 Score 13.5/20 Remarks Dried cherries and chocolate. Wine Arboleda 2000 Merlot, Colchagua Valley Price $24.95 Retailers 1, 2 (see below) Score 14/20 Remarks Smoky vanilla-mocha-plum fruit. Wine Arboleda 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley Price $24.95 Retailers 1, 2, 3 (see below) Score 14.5/20 Remarks Rich blackberry, cassis, tobacco fruit. Wine Caliterra 2000 Syrah, Valle Central Price $13.95 Stock No. 576892 Score 14/20 Remarks Soft meaty, affordable, fun. Wine Arboleda 2000 Syrah, Colchagua Valley Price $24.95 (arriving April 1) Retailers 2, 3 (see below) Score 14.5/20 Remarks Intense rich, peppery. Retailers: 1. Charlie's Wine Cellar, Coquitlam; 2. Dundarave Wine Cellar, West Vancouver; 3. Liberty Wine Merchants, five Lower Mainland locations.