I had the opportunity to visit a few vineyards in the Casablanca Valley this summer, and the satisfaction of seeing their growth and how they have taken full advantage of the experience and greater maturity. However, a few questions were left pending regarding the variety of reds from the valley, other than the Pinot Noir. The changes that have come about in the areas planted with these grapes… are they really a response to a quest for quality or are they merely a response to the whims of the latest fashion? For someone looking in from the outside it´s fascinating to see just how free and flexible the industry is in our country. They rip up the Merlot from here and plant Sauvignon Blanc over there, adapting to the demands of the market. But it is also of some concern how much they change, so much trial and error and how it could all ultimately lead to lack of identity in our wines.

I wanted answers to these questions and thought I could find them at Loma Larga, a vineyard that, located in a valley known for its whites, has become a cellar for reds. Not only has it achieved significant accomplishments and won well-deserved international awards, it has also been acknowledged for having the largest range in Casablanca, from the Cabernet Sauvignon to the Merlot, via the Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

After many years relating with the Chilean winemaking industry, and after having seen some remarkable cartwheels and flip flops, it would seem that today there are only two assured methods of producing wine with character and identity. The first is to have a fixed idea of the wine you want to produce, find the terroir where to plant the right vines that will bring it to life, and… make it. The second, start with a terroir you already have, study it down to the very last detail, see if you can produce a line of wines within the price range you aspire to, and decide if it’s all worth the effort. This last method was the one chosen by Luis Felipe Diaz, a commercial engineer and owner, as part of the family, and general manager of Loma Larga Vineyard. In the image, Syrah vines.
Before deciding to plant and choose the best grape for his lands, Diaz already had a clear idea that the primordial element of making good wine was the fruit. His goal was to achieve something of greater value that would be considered good in Chile. With the rigor inherent to engineers he studied and monitored temperature and sent samples for soil analysis from several different areas of his land, located about three kilometers from the highway via Camino Lo Ovalle. He would only plant if the results of his research and studies would allow him to create wines he could sell for over US$60 the crate on the market, a goal he has fulfilled and then some.
Choosing reds…
Diaz was clear on the fact that his lands in Casablanca were classified as cool climate and looked to other similar areas in the world. His model was based on no less than the Rhone wine region, specifically the Côte Rôtie, where some of the best cool-climate Syrahs come from. Considering going all in for a quality Syrah, his main concern was if he could achieve the minimum 3000 hours above 10ºC from bud break to ripeness. This far from minor detail is, according to Diaz, indispensible to obtaining the perfect phenolic ripeness of the grape, without which there’s absolutely no chance of producing good wines, or of fixing an identity to the wines from his terroir.
It’s this that makes the autumn cold spells, which burn the leaves and halt the plants’ activity, his chief worry, as they prevent the grapes from ripening. To his credit and a little luck, the poor soil in Loma Larga, currently where his vines are planted, is surrounded by a long ridge of hills (hence the name). They act as a screen sheltering the terroir from the southern winds, but allow beneficial mists through. Halfway through March, his Syrah vines, above all his Cabernet Franc, look balanced and ready for harvest at the end of May.
The reds to come…
Guided by Emeric Geneviere-Montignac, the French oenologist in charge of the project, I visited the fermentation warehouse and the aging cellar, perfectly sized for today’s current level of production. Although Loma Larga has earned renown for its reds, Emeric explains that they also make white wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc which is left on the lees for six months; there’s no wood, but it has a good body and goes out for sale far later than most of the sauvignons from the valley.
We tried the 2006 reds and first vintages of 2007. Some only show traces of the barrel, and others are still not out on the market yet. Among them I was surprised by a really interesting Merlot 2007 that was full of complexity, rich structure with fresh red fruit flavors and flowers such as roses and violets and hints of tea and chocolate. The entire 2007 harvest looks marvelous with an intensity and fruit concentration greater than the previous year, which to my mind screams if you find any bottles of this particular vintage, do yourself a favor, don’t wait, buy them if you can! And yes, the Syrah is out of this world. But seeing as we have talked about it extensively let me tell you about the other wines I was impressed with, in particular the Cabernet Franc and the Malbec – the only one produced in Casablanca – both in its 2006 and 2007 vintage. The Malbec BG 2006 is quite different from the rest of the Chilean and Argentinian Malbecs: somewhat rustic it has balanced freshness and acids, no over ripe fruit, hints of spice and excellent persistence in the mouth.
But, to my taste, the true laureate is the Cabernet Franc: a sip flashes cherries, plums and branch of red fruit all the way to the back of your brain. It’s quite frankly an exquisite wine, with wonderful vibrant acids and well-structured tannins. Its 2007 version, which has a good percentage of new barrel, still feels a little wild in the mouth. But, the fruit concentration of this wine makes me think it will be a sure candidate to follow in the footsteps of its older 2005 version, the vintage that won the Austrian Trophy as the best Cabernet Franc in the world.