The Grapevine: In Chile’s Casablanca Valley, cool is the operative word for whites

By Laurie Daniel

Chile first made its mark in the U.S wine market with inexpensive wines, many of them red, from the country’s fertile central valley. Because of the valley’s deep soils and warm, dry climate, growers were able to ripen large crops, so it was feasible to turn out lots of low-priced wine.

As was the case when the wine industry matured in California, Chilean vintners have reached a point where they’re exploring new viticultural areas that are more suitable to particular grape varieties. In the case of grapes such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, the plantings have been migrating to cooler areas.

Cooler climes

One of the prime areas for cool-climate grapes is the Casablanca Valley, which is northwest of Santiago and less than 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The cold Humboldt Current runs off the coast, so the sea produces a cooling effect, with morning fog. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape, with sauvignon blanc a strong second and increasing. Pinot noir does well, too, and merlot is grown in some of the warmer sites. There’s even a little syrah, which is showing promise.

There are only a few wineries based in Casablanca; most of the roughly 10,000 acres of vineyards are farmed by wineries based elsewhere in Chile or by private growers. The area got its start when Pablo Morandé, who was then working for Chilean giant Concha y Toro Winery, started looking for a growing environment similar to that of Carneros. He found what he wanted in Casablanca and planted about 50 acres.

Rapid viticultural expansion

Planting expanded rapidly in the 1990s. Among the vintners who discovered Casablanca was Agustin Huneeus, a Chile native who owns Quintessa Estate in the Napa Valley. He started Veramonte, a winery that exports most of its production to the United States and is well-known for its crisp, vivid—and attractively priced —sauvignon blanc.

Kingston Family Vineyards is another Casablanca winery with a California connection. The family patriarch, Carl Kingston, a copper miner from Michigan, went to Chile in the early 1900s in search of gold. He settled in Casablanca in the ’20s and started raising cattle. In the mid-1990s, his great-grandchildren, Courtney and Tim, who had been raised in the States, came up with the idea to plant a vineyard. Courtney, a Stanford graduate who lives in the Bay Area, wrote a business plan.

A viticultural consultant told the family that pinot noir—a grape that wasn’t grown much in Chile—would be a good match for the site. Planting began in 1998, and there are about 200 acres now. Most of the fruit is sold, although the family produces about 3,000 cases, with a focus on pinot noir. Byron Kosuge, who spent much of his career at pinot specialist Saintsbury in Carneros, makes the Kingston wines.

White wines shine

Currently, the best wines from Casablanca are the whites, which have a lot of freshness and racy acidity. The 2007 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc ($10) is a good example. It’s zippy and bright, with citrus and white peach flavors and great acidity. Kingston’s 2006 Cariblanco Sauvignon Blanc ($16) offers some grassiness and passion fruit. The 2007 Cono Sur “Vision” Sauvignon Blanc ($15) is another good one; it’s fresh and crisp, with melon and citrus flavors and a hint of grassiness.

There are some good chardonnays, too, in a range of styles, although all have plenty of lively acidity. The 2007 Cono Sur “Vision” Chardonnay ($15) is made in a fresh, racy style, with flavors of pear and white peach. (The 2006 is what’s currently available.) The 2006 Carmen Reserve Chardonnay ($16) has a similar profile. The 2006 Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Chardonnay ($25) is also very fresh but a bit more complex, with mineral notes and a long finish. For a creamier wine, there’s the 2006 Veramonte Chardonnay ($10), which is ripe and a little tropical.

Pinot finds its footing

Although there’s a lot of excitement about pinot noir from Casablanca, I think the results so far have been uneven. There’s not a lot of history with the grape in Chile, so growers and winemakers are still feeling their way. Some are hiring consultants from California, like Kosuge and Paul Hobbs, who is working with Veramonte on an as-yet-unnamed super-premium pinot. The Veramonte wine, which will be released in September, is extremely promising: dark, concentrated, spicy and structured, yet graceful and very pinotlike.

Kingston’s pinot, called Alazan, is also on the right track. I haven’t tasted the current release, from 2006, but the 2004 was bright, spicy and a little earthy, with a supple texture. And Cono Sur’s best pinots are made from Casablanca grapes: the 2006 20 Barrels ($25) and 2006 Ocio ($50).

Casablanca is showing the sort of diversity that’s possible in Chile. We’ll be seeing more of that diversity as plantings expand in other cool regions, like Leyda near the coast, Limarí in the north and Bio Bio in the south.