Chile 2.0 - Place Matters

The annual visit triggered a huge turnout by both trade and consumers who, despite the harmonized sales tax and tougher drinking and driving rules, haven't lost their zeal for wine.

More than 500 attentive consumers attended the evening tasting session in Gastown, which followed a sold-out afternoon trade session that topped the 300 mark. That's a lot of interest for a wine category that represents about five per cent of the total wine sales in B.C. It was rewarding to see so many consumers taking notes until the end of the evening, in essence demonstrating why Vancouver remains a premier market in the eyes of most seasoned international wine sellers.

Chile has done a remarkable job reinventing itself despite its somewhat unfortunate "best value" moniker that continues to hamper its ability to get better and slightly higher-priced labels listed in Canada. To wit, far too many of the best wines in the room last week remain unlisted in government stores for reasons known only to the monopoly. Why so many interesting Chilean wines cannot get listed here, when so many other French, Italian or Australia wines do, is frankly mind-boggling.

A quick tally of listings on the BC Liquor Stores website shows 1,130 wines of French origin, including a staggering 400 listings that sell for $100 or more per bottle.

A similar search for Chilean listings produces only 158 wines, of which four sell for more than $100 - and two of those are 16-litre boxes of Chilean juice bottled in Canada!

In fact, by volume Chilean wine (391,906 9L cases) is much larger than France (254,919 9L) in the province. The ratio is roughly 8:5 in favour of Chile although by value they are essentially equal: French table wine sales at retail total $50.5 million; Chilean, $50.1 million.

I love French wine, but a 10:1 advantage in listings compared to Chile seems excessive. Dropping 50 French wines would likely have little effect on the French category, but adding 50 new products from Chile's Leyda, Limari, Bio Bio, Aconcagua Costa, Elqui and Alto Maipo regions would make it an even more attractive portfolio.

I'm sure Chile wouldn't mind an annual release of 75 of its best wines in response to the space given Bordeaux every year. More Syrah, more sauvignon blanc, more Pinot Noir and more red blends would be welcome, and half could easily be organic or bio-dynamic.

I'm sure there is a reason Chile is getting the short end of the stick, but tell that to the 500-plus who not only paid $45 to sample the latest from the long, thin country, but took notes and chatted with winemakers long into the night. Who's holding whom back?

Here are six Chilean wines you can find in stores this weekend:

Once in a while, you find something truly exciting at a crazy price and Cono Sur Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is it. It has a very aromatic nose with grapefruit, melon, peach, lime and floral, green apple aromas. Amazing concentration, finesse and viscosity for sauvignon blanc at a killer price from cool coastal vineyards. It is a mix of three different pickings and three Sancerre clones. Green never tasted so good. Sold only in private wine stores.

You'll love the Santa Carolina Coastal Hills Syrah 2009. So aromatic with cherry, plum jam, peppery notes and a round, supple, fresh palate. Look for meaty, gamy, peppery, spicy, licorice, coffee and black cherry flavours with fine intensity and concentration for the rice. Drink now with lamb or hold another year in the bottle.

From farther north the Falernia Syrah Reserva 2007 from Elqui Valley should turn heads. Look for a meaty, spicy blackberry, black cherry nose with smoky, rooty, peppery aromas. On the palate there are juicy blackberry, peppery, meaty, licorice flavours mixed with southern France floral, thyme and sage flavours. Fine concentration and intensity in what is a cooler climate style. Good value here.

Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenère 2008 comes out of the Apalta Valley in Colchagua. This spicy, black plum, cassis and floral scented carmenère is not only better, it's cheaper than past years. Enjoy its supple, rich, smooth palate with bits of chocolate, pepper, tobacco, savoury plum jam, cassis and tea flavours. There is both fruit, balance and intensity which is a rarity from most carmenère labels. Excellent value for the price.

The Marques de Casa Concha Merlot 2007 offers up ripe, soft, red fruit with a peppery savoury dried herb mid-palate and chocolate cherry cinnamon finish. Good length and gloss and fine extract. A riper, cleaner version than we have seen in years. Very attractive and ready to drink. Perfect for roast beef. Love the value here.

Last but not least is the Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real 2005, perhaps the best I have ever tasted. Made with 40-plus-year-old fruit, the Casa Real entices you with its sublime nose of mint, cassis and spicy licorice all supporting pure plum fruit. The textures are sublime, so supple, so balanced and zero green. Nothing but rich dense fruit in a sophisticated cabernet sauvignon. The best since 1999 and perhaps already better than that fine bottle.

CHILEAN 6-PACK

Cono Sur Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Valle de San Antonio, Chile

Price      $14

UPC       N/A

Score     89/100

Remarks              Green never tasted so good.

Falernia Syrah Reserva 2007, Elqui Valley, Chile

Price       $18

UPC       7809623200315

Score     89/100

Remarks                Fine concentration and intensity in a cooler climate style. Good value.

Santa Carolina Coastal Hills Syrah 2009, Melipilla, Valle del Maipo, Chile

Price      $18

UPC       07804350004151

Score     88/100

Remarks              Fine intensity and concentration for near term consumption. Try this with lamb.

Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenère 2008, Apalta Valley, Valle del Colchagua, Chile

Price      $22

UPC       00677758901240

Score     89/100

Remarks              Excellent value for the price.

Marques de Casa Concha Merlot 2007, Puemo, Valle del Cachapoal, Chile

Price      $20

UPC       07804320253480

Score     89/100

Remarks              Attractive, ready to drink red; serve with roast beef.

Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real 2005, Buin, Valle del Maipo, Chile

Price      $80

UPC       89419007169

Score     95/100

Remarks              The best since 1999 and perhaps already better than that fine bottle.