J. Bouchon Wine Tasting this Friday in NYC

Today I was at Puro Wine in downtown Manhattan. Seeing their selection of Chilean wine made me nostalgic for my trip, and I had to restrain myself from not buying the whole store. I picked up a few bottles and learned that this Friday from 5-7pm they will be pouring two J. Bouchon wines - Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere. I tried these wines when I visited the winery in the Maule Valley and I highly recommend them. Stop by if you can!

J. Bouchon Wine Tasting
Friday, March 12
5-7pm

Puro Wine
161 Grand Street
New York NY 10013
212 925 0090
puro-wine.com

Help Chile - drink their wine

Some of the areas that I visited during my wine trip to Chile were severely affected by the earthquake on February 28. Wineries in the Maule Valley and Colchagua Valley sustained damage to their equipment and cellars, and a significant amount of wine has been lost - hundreds of thousands of liters. Many people lost their homes and some places are still without water and electricity.

These pictures are from J. Bouchon Winery, who lost a fair amount of wine and suffered some structural damage. But everyone there is ok and they are gearing up for their 2010 harvest.

If you want to help Chile, why not check out Puro Chile and Puro Wine in Manhattan at Centre St. and Grand St. - they sell lots of Chilean wines, crafts, olive and avocado oils (there are a lot of avocados in Chile and the oil is really good).

Puro Chile
221 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
212 217 9362
puro-chile.com

Puro Wine
161 Grand Street
New York NY 10013
212 925 0090
puro-wine.com

Buena Suerte, Chile!

The Maule Moment

It just so happened that I saved my best winery experience in Chile for last. I made an excursion to the J. Bouchon Winery and Mingre Lodge this week in the Maule Valley, 3 hours south of Santiago. Hosted by Julio Bouchon, I learned about the history of the family, the wine, and the land. Maule Valley is the largest wine-producing region geographically, but it is only just beginning to receive recognition for the terroir and the quality wines that result - hence, the Maule moment. In terms of hectares, Bouchon is medium-sized for Chile with 370 hectares planted and 1.8 million liters of wine produced annually. All the grapes from their 3 vineyard sites are hand-picked and sorted at the winery.

In between mountain biking and horseback riding I tasted the complete lineup of wines - 3 whites, 1 rose, and 8 reds. In general the wines are fresh and fruity, with the reds showing a balanced use of French oak, sometimes new and sometimes old. Since I liked them all I have to mention them each briefly:

* Sauvignon Blanc 2009: easy-going, floral, citrusy, light.
* Chardonnay 2009: unoaked so crisp and fruity.
* Las Mercedes Sauvignon Blanc 2007: complex, oaked SB that maintains tropical fruit and acidity.
* Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2009: strawberry, cherry, light and dry.
* Merlot Reserva 2008: strawberry with a black tea finish.
* Carmenere-Syrah Reserva 2008: interesting and unique blend with green pepper, black fruit, some chocolate.
* Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2008: red and black fruits, very juicy with smooth tannins.

The Reserva Especial line is made from the oldest vines - some as old as 80 years!
* Malbec Reserva Especial 2007: strawberry and vanilla with firm tannin.
* Carmenere Reserva Especial 2007: fresh bell pepper nose and red fruit with some spice.
* Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Especial 2007: black fruit, cassis, eucalyptus; very juicy and approachable.

The Blends
* Las Mercedes Ensamblaje 2006: 45%Cab Sauv, 40%Syrah, 15%Malbec. Complex with black fruits, cassis, mint, eucalyptus, raspberry.
* Mingre 2006: 45%Cab Sauv; 15% each Carmenere, Malbec, Syrah; 10%Merlot. Similar to Las Mercedes but with brighter red fruit.

I talked a lot about the Carmenere in Chile, but I should mention that Cabernet Sauvignon is really the main grape and wine in Chile, making up 50% of wine production in Chile. Cab Sauv is not one of my favorite varieties (it is often too heavy and tannic for me) so I don't often focus on it. But, the Cab Sauvs at J. Bouchon were the best I had in Chile and some of the most enjoyable I've had to date. 

Beautiful scenery, outdoor activities, and great wine - a fantastic way to end my stay in Chile.