Chilean Pinot ‘more concentrated’ than NZ

Chilean Pinot Noir pioneer Adolfo Hurtado of Cono Sur believes the examples being made in Chile have more concentration than those from New Zealand.

Adolfo Hurtado

Speaking to the drinks business during a recent trip to Chile, Hurtado said: “You’ll find more concentration and fruit expression in Chilean Pinot Noir than New Zealand. The same can be said for Sauvignon Blanc.

“The grapes are grown in a drier environment in Chile than New Zealand, so you get more concentrated berries. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is more impactful on the nose than Chilean, but less obvious on the palate.”

Hurtado believes that improvements in winemaking now mean that Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is the number one rival to those from New Zealand for market share.

He has started experimenting with concrete eggs to see what they bring to the final blend of his top Pinot and Chardonnay.

Cono Sur’s top Pinot, Ocio

“I’ve got two eggs and am buying three more. I was very skeptical to begin with but they are working really well as they provide permanent batonage for the wine, which is in constant contact with the yeast due to its shape,” he said.

Like Marcelo Papa at Concha y Toro, Hurtado is trialing ageing a proportion of his Pinot in 5,000-litre Italian botti, which he believes adds complexity to the wine. The 2014 vintage of his 20 Barrels Pinot Noir was partly aged in botti (20%) and concrete egg (10%).

Cono Sur produces eight different Pinot Noirs from 380 hectares of vineyards. Hurtado believes the Casablanca Valley boasts the best terroirs for Pinot in Chile as the 30-year-old vines bring complexity and character to the wines.

Due for release this year is the estate’s first traditional method sparkling wine, which is likely to be called “Centinela” after the Casablanca vineyard from which the Chardonnay grapes hail, which are also used in 20 Barrels Chardonnay.

“The quality of the grapes is crucial for sparkling wine production. You can’t make good fizz without top grapes and these are exceptional, as the cool nights in Casablanca allow them to ripen very slowly,” Hurtado told db.

Having been aged for two years, the blanc de blancs is due for release in the UK later this year at around £15 a bottle, with some 6,000 bottles due on the market.

Cono Sur already makes charmat method sparkling brut and rosé from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in Bío Bío in southern Chile.

A beer lover, Hurtado also plans to make his own beer this year, with the initial trials due to be served to visitors at the Cono Sur guest house in Chimbarongo.

“I’ve been thinking about doing a beer for years but I’ve finally bought the equipment. It will be a craft beer project with small production. If it’s any good then I’d eventually like to start exporting it – the UK loves beer, so why not,” he said.