Fine wine profile: Up there with the best of them

It may produce wines at the cheaper end of the spectrum, but Chilean producer Errázuriz can more than hold its own in the world of fine wine too, as its scores at recent tastings prove. Patrick Schmitt looks at the results of the Berlin Tastings and wonders why this company’s international fine wine reputation is not better established.

There’s nothing unusual in encountering wine snobbery among consumers but it was surprising and saddening to hear a recent example of it in the trade. During the organisation of the inaugural Drinks Business Fine Wine Fair, a potential exhibitor suggested that an already confirmed attendee, Errázuriz, was not a producer of “fine wine”.

Ironically, and satisfyingly, within hours of hearing this tale, thedrinksbusiness.com ran the results of an event in New York on 10 May this year: “Chilean wine takes top spot in blind tasting” said the story. The Chilean wine was Errázuriz Kai, a 100% Carmenère from 2006, which had secured the highest score in a line-up that included Haut Brion, Lafite and Opus One, all from the same vintage.

Not only that, but the same producer’s Don Maximiano Founder´s Reserve 2006 came in fourth place, its Cumbre in sixth, and Seña in seventh. Then, down in ninth place was its Viñedo Chadwick, tied with Sassicaia.

Furthermore, this headline-grabbing outcome was not the first time Errázuriz had pitched its top products against the wine world’s most revered labels, and come out on top.

Beginning in 2004, Eduardo Chadwick, president at Errázuriz, decided to hold a blind tasting of his top wines against first growths from Bordeaux. He enlisted the help of British wine writer Steven Spurrier, mastermind of the famed Paris tasting of 1976 between California and Bordeaux, which hurled Napa Valley onto the global stage. Then he lined up a series of respected commentators in Berlin, because the European city was undergoing a renaissance.

And the results? Among the 10 wines from the 2000 and 2001 vintage – including Château Lafite, Margaux and Latour – the Errázuriz Viñedo Chadwick 2000 came first, and the producer’s Seña 2001 took second slot. In fifth place was Seña 2000. “The victory was conclusive for Viña Errázuriz,” said Spurrier after the event, which became known as the Berlin Tasting. “Why did the tasters put his wines first, second and fifth? Simply because they are very good wines indeed,” he added.

This was followed by similar events in Brazil, Japan, China, London and Stockholm, and in 13 tastings Errázuriz wines have always taken at least 50% of the top five places, according to Chadwick.

“In Brazil, in 2005, we came second and third to Margaux; in Japan, in 2006, we came second and third to Latour, and in China, in 2008, we came first and second. And in each case we took three out of the top five places.”

Then, turning his attention to the latest outcome from the New York tasting, he says: “This is the best result we could possibly obtain, it is a major statement.”

Great winemaking nation

Continuing, he explains that the purpose of these tastings is not only to gain international recognition for Errázuriz’s icon wines but also highlight Chile’s ability to make fine wine. “My point is to prove that Chile makes great wines,” he says.

And when it’s suggested his wines may show better than first growth Bordeaux at this early stage in their development he adds: “We are not asking the tasters to rate the wine for instant pleasure. They know the vintage and we are simply asking them to choose the best wine, which one they like the most.”

Errázuriz has had a long-term focus on fine wine beginning with its Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve, which was first launched as a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aconcagua Valley in 1983 and has gradually evolved to include other Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and then since 2003, a touch of Syrah.
 
Following this, Chadwick unveiled the iconic Seña label, a joint venture with Robert Mondavi using grapes from a 45-hectare hillside planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec. The first vintage was 1995.

Then, in 2002, he introduced Viñedo Chadwick: a Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère blend from the Maipo Valley, released in memory of Chadwick’s father, Don Alfonso.

These three wines together form the pillars of the company’s icon selection, although in 2004, Chadwick couldn’t resist adding another two top-level labels. One of these was Cumbra, a 100% Syrah from the producer’s best plots, and the other, Kai, a pure Carmenère.

Interestingly, the latter wine’s win at the latest Berlin Tasting, in New York, has not only raised the fine wine profile of Chile, but also drawn global attention to the potential of the country’s Carménère. In fact, Chadwick suggests that the Errázuriz Don Maximiano flagship wine may include this grape in the next vintage, 2010.

Also, for this year’s harvest, is an entirely new winery that has been specially designed for the company’s icon wines and its Max Reserva range (pictured, left). It’s been built to be sustainable, using geothermal energy to power its air conditioning, as well as solar panels for other processes.

So what’s next for Chadwick? “The next challenge,” he proudly announces, “will be Pinot Noir.” Also, he’s attempting to raise the profile of the company’s coastal plantings in the Aconcagua Valley, 12km from the Pacific Ocean. An area called the Manzanar Vineyard has been planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir, and Chadwick is pushing to get Aconcagua Costa as an officially recognised appellation.

For the country as a whole he explains that there is work underway to effectively divide the narrow landmass into three wine-producing strips, one defined by the limits of the coastal influence, the second covering the valleys, and the third to highlight the high-altitude vineyards of the Andes.

As for the overall direction of the wine industry, Chadwick is convinced it should be upmarket. “Chile has 120,000ha planted to vines, we are the size of Bordeaux, and our message should be premium,” he states.

And back to the suggestion Errázuriz is not a fine wine producer, it should be added that making a Merlot at a sub-£10 price point does not preclude one from creating first-growth-rivalling-Bordeaux blends – as the Berlin Tastings have repeatedly proved. Just think of Errázuriz as little different to UK importer Hatch Mansfield’s other major supplier, Burgundy négociant Louis Jadot. Yes, Jadot bottles the likes of Corton Charlemagne under its well-known fine wine brand – but also Beaujolais.

Essentially, while Errázuriz has managed to successfully convey a reputation for consistent quality-driven mainstream products, it seems to have failed in communicating its fine wine credentials to an international audience. Hopefully this profile will be further help in getting its credible message across.

Berlin Tastings: the results

The Berlin Tasting, Berlin, 2004

1. Viñedo Chadwick 2000
2. Seña 2001
3. Château Lafite 2000
4. Château Margaux 2001
5. Seña 2000
6. Château Margaux 2000
7. Château Latour 2000
8. Viñedo Chadwick 2001
9. Don Maximiano 2001
10. Château Latour 2001

The Berlin Tasting, Brazil, November 2005

1. Château Margaux 2001
2. Viñedo Chadwick 2000
3. Seña 2001
4. Château Latour 2001
5. Seña 2000
6. Viñedo Chadwick 2001
7. Don Maximiano 2001
8. Guado Al Tasso 2000
9. Château Lafite 2000
10. Sassicaia 2000

The Berlin Tasting, Japan, June 2006

1. Château Latour 2000
2. Seña 2000
3. Viñedo Chadwick 2000
4. Seña 2001
5. Don Maximiano 2003
6. Château Margaux 2000
7. Château Lafite 2000
8. Tignanello 2000
9. Sassicaia 2000
10. Viñedo Chadwick 2001

The Berlin Tasting, China, July 2008

1. Don Maximiano 2005
2. Don Maximiano 2004
3. Sassicaia 2004
4. Viñedo Chadwick 2004
5. Château Mouton 2004
6. Château Lafite 2004
7. Viñedo Chadwick 2003
8. Seña 2004
9. Château Margaux 2004
10. Tignanello 2004

The Berlin Tasting, New York, May, 2010

1. Kai 2006
2. Opus One 2006
3. Haut Brion 2006
4. Don Maximiano Founder´s Reserve 2006
5. Château Lafite 2006
6. La Cumbre 2006
7. Seña 2006
8. Stag´s Leap 2006
9. Viñedo Chadwick 2006
10. Sassicaia 2006

Taken from the June 2010 edition of the drinks business