south america - The Wine Society

THE SOUTH AMERICAN SWEET SPOT: WINES UNDER £7South America, and especially Chile, produces world-beatingwines in this price category and in a widening range of grapevarieties and styles. As the UK government increases duty fasterthan infl ation, we reckon you get the biggest bang for your buckat about £6.50, where the cost of the duty (which is levied perbottle and not by price) is proportionally less signifi cant than onthe cheaper wines. This we have called the ‘South American SweetSpot’ and we offer two mixed cases at these prices packed withdelicious wines. It is no surprise these cases include our own-labelwines which were all jointly blended by the winemaker andThe Wine Society buyer Toby Morrhall to provide what weconsider to be the best wines of their type at this price.REDSDoña Paulina Merlot, 2012Ruby red in colour with the ripe, plummyrichness typical of Chilean merlot. Try withcharcuterie. 13%ref AM-CE7001£5.25 bottle £63 dozenDoña Paulina CabernetSauvignon, 2011Chile produces very successful cabernetsauvignon as its climate is warmer thanBordeaux but cooler than most of Australia.Medium-bodied, refreshing and moreish.13% The 2012 follows.ref AM-CE6551£5.25 bottle £63 dozenTemporada Malbec, 2012Robustly fruity malbec from Mendoza,Argentina, offering excellent value formoney. 14.5%ref AM-AR2701£5.50 bottle £66 dozenZarcillo Pinot Noir, 2011Chile is an unrivalled source for inexpensivepinot noir. With true pinot bouquet andripe fruit, this is delicious. 13.5%ref AM-CE6561£6.25 bottle £75 dozenMarcelo Papa (left) and Ignacio Recabarren.Concha Y Toro’s world renowned winemakers..SEE BACK PAGEFOR FOUR MIXED CASESLos Gansos is named after the geese, nature’sown insecticides, that roam Cono Sur’s vineyardsfeasting on the bugs making spraying unnecessaryLos Gansos Cabernet Sauvignon,2011Lovely blackcurrant-scented cabernet froma mature vineyard at Chimbarongo, a coolspot in the Rapel Valley, showing unusualclass and refi nement for its price. 13%ref AM-CE6581£6.50 bottle £78 dozenThe Society’s Chilean CabernetSauvignon, Maipo ValleyThis is exceptional. Made from excellentraw materials and now with some bottleage, which has developed the aromas androunded out the palate. Winemakers IgnacioRecabarren and Marcelo Papa choosequality wines which I taste with them, andthey make an initial blend which then goesinto barrel for about eight months. A yearlater we re-taste the blend and make anyfi nal touches as necessary. 14%ref AM-CE2601£6.50 bottle £78 dozenThe Society’s Chilean Merlot,Rapel ValleyWe are delighted to have worked withConcha y Toro’s renowned winemakersMarcelo Papa and Ignacio Recabarrento produce this superior merlot. All thewine was aged for about eight months insmall barrels. The result is a wine that isripe and round with the plummy richnesscharacteristic of this variety. 14%ref AM-CE1511£6.50 bottle £78 dozenViña Leyda Reserve Merlot, RapelValley, 2010Plummy, medium-bodied merlot with alovely balanced palate. Deliciously moreish.14%ref AM-CE6071£6.50 bottle £78 dozenUndurraga Candelabro ReservaCarmenère-Malbec-Carignan,2010Wonderfully fruity yet balanced wine. Richand plummy carmenère (60%) blendedwith fruity malbec (30%) and a littlecarignan (10%) for structure and freshness.Delightful. 14.5% The 2011 follows.ref AM-CE6341£6.75 bottle £81 dozenThe Society’s Argentine MalbecMade for us by Susana Balbo, this has aripe, brambly nose followed by a burst offruit on the mid palate and a long fi nish.Full and satisfying, this is superb value. 14%ref AM-AR1301£6.95 bottle £83 dozenSOUTH AMERICA’SSWEET SPOT REDSEQUIVALENT TO £6.25 PER BOTTLEPay a little over the price of entry-levelwines and get even better value formoney.A 12-bottle case containing two bottleseach of the following:Los Gansos Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011The Society’s Chilean Merlot,Rapel ValleyZarcillo Pinot Noir, 2011The Society’s Argentine MalbecUndurraga Candelabro ReservaCarmenère-Malbec-Carignan, 2010/2011The Society’s Chilean CabernetSauvignon, Maipo Valleyref AM-MX1312£75To order thewinesociety.com/southamerica 01438 740222 smartphone app3

WHITESNEW Half bottle of Tabalí LateHarvest Pink Muscat, LimaríValley, 2010A lovely Chilean sweet wine with grapy,musky aromas. Made from about 40%botrytised grapes, there’s a delightfulfreshness that underpins the sweet palate.Ideal with a fresh fruit salad. Made frompink grapes but the wine is white. 13%ref AM-CE6882 £4.95 half bottleDoña Paulina Valle CentralChardonnay, , 2012No-nonsense, straightforward Chileanchardonnay. Ripe yet balanced with anappealing freshness. No oak. 13%ref AM-CE6661£5.25 bottle £63 dozenZarcillo Riesling, 2012Zesty, limey riesling produced fromvineyards near the banks of the mightyBío-Bío river about 250 miles south ofSantiago in a coolish climate that is wellsuited to producing aromatic riesling. 13.5%ref AM-CE6731£6.25 bottle £75 dozenSilbador Gewürztraminer, 2012Spicy, lychee-scented gewürztraminer.Medium-bodied, with appealing freshness.14%ref AM-CE6751£6.25 bottle £75 dozenSilbador Casablanca, Chardonnay,2012Fresh organic Casablanca chardonnay, withmelony fruit and a crisp fi nish. 13.5%ref AM-CE6631£6.25 bottle £75 dozenThe Society’s ChileanChardonnay, Limarí ValleyCrisp and vibrant chardonnay with about10% barrel-fermented wine to contribute alittle roundness without masking the brightcitrus fruit. 14%ref AM-CE5151£6.50 bottle £78 dozenThe Society’s Chilean SauvignonBlanc, Leyda ValleyExcellent value for money. Intense aromasof gooseberry and elderfl ower togetherwith a vivid and refreshing palate. 13.5%ref AM-CE3291£6.50 bottle £78 dozenNEW Half bottle of Cono SurRiesling, Cosecha Noble, 2011Attractive sweet Bío-Bío riesling. Beautifullybalanced with intense aromas of peachesand honey. Ideal with an apple tart. 12%ref AM-CE7052 £6.50 half bottleUndurraga Candelabro LeydaSauvignon Blanc, 2012Vibrant nettley sauvignon blanc that ismoreishly crisp and fresh. Great quality forthe price. 14%ref AM-CE6961£6.75 bottle £81 dozenNEW Tabalí Reserva Chardonnay,Limarí Valley, 2012Intensely aromatic nose of apples andpears, combined with good palate weight.Unoaked. Impressive for the price. 13.5%ref AM-CE6871£6.95 bottle £83 dozenSEE BACK PAGEFOR FOUR MIXED CASESSOUTH AMERICA’SSWEET SPOTEQUIVALENT TO £6.58 PER BOTTLEA 12-bottle case containing two bottleseach of the following:RedsThe Society’s Argentine MalbecUndurraga Candelabro ReservaCarmenère-Malbec-Carignan, 2010/2011Los Gansos Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011WhitesThe Society’s Chilean ChardonnayLimarì ValleyUndurraga Candelabro LeydaSauvignon Blanc, 2012The Society’s Chilean SauvignonBlanc Leyda Valleyref AM-MX1313£794

LITTLE STARS: WINES BETWEEN £7 AND £10This is one of the most improved areasof quality for South America. These winesare made from lower-yielding vineyardsin regions where the matching of climateto variety, and now increasingly soil, offerdistinctive character and outstanding quality.Some of the most exciting we are offeringin a mixed case called Little Stars to showthem off. It includes two new finds, TorresSanta Digna Merlot 2011, a lovely plummymerlot, lightly oaked, and an intenselyflavoured sauvignon blanc called ViñaLitoral from Leyda.Otherwise the Limarí valley continuesto impress, able to grow a wide range ofvarieties in its varying climates and soiltypes. Maycas’ pinots are even better intheir second vintage. Tabalí’s sauvignonblanc is exceptionally crisp and invigoratingand its syrah combines a northern Rhônetar-like aroma with a warm and ripesouthern Rhône palate. Corte Marcelo’schardonnay is tense and fine.We welcome back Uruguay in the form oftwo unusual wines made from interestinggrape varieties which are well worth trying.It’s not just about tannat!REDSNEW De Lucca Altos de ElColorado Tetra, 2011From the rich and ripe 2011 Uruguayanvintage, this is a round and fruityassemblage, with aromas of black pepperand spice. 34% tannat, 28% touriga nacional,26% carmenère and 12% sangiovese. 13.5%ref AM-UR261£7.25 bottle £87 dozenNEW Torres Santa Digna Merlot,2011From the 15-year-old El Aromo vineyard inCuricó, Chile, this is lovely plummy merlot,yet lively and fresh too. 80% aged in barrelfor six months. 14%ref AM-CE6911£7.50 bottle £90 dozenNEW Atlántico Sur GarzónVineyard, Maldonado Marselan,2012We were bowled over by this unusual varietyat a tasting of more than 40 Uruguayanwines. Marselan is a cabernet sauvignon–grenache cross which here has lovely sweet,ripe, peppery grenache-like fruit underpinnedby a cool southern Atlantic freshness. 12.5%ref AM-UR271£7.95 bottle £95 dozenFaldeos Nevados Malbec, 2011Susana Balbo makes wines which offersuperb quality for the money. This ripe andfruity Argentine malbec is an excellentexample. 14%ref AM-AR2671£8.25 bottle £99 dozenTO ORDER01438 740222Koyle Reserva Carmenère, 2010From a superb new estate at Los Lingues,Alto Colchagua, this intense and spicycarmenère is one of the most interestingand distinctive examples. Grown in acoolish area for this variety, it shows hintsof black pepper and cloves, with full yetfresh palate. 14% The 2011 follows.ref AM-CE6181£8.50 bottle £102 dozenDe Martino Viejas TinajasCinsault, Itata Valley, 2011Lovely peppery and thyme-scented cinsault,with round and sweet palate which finisheswith an attractive freshness. Made from30-year-old unirrigated bush vines in theItata region about 22km from the coast.13% The 2012 follows.ref AM-CE6441£8.95 bottle £107 dozenTabalí Reserva Especial Syrah,Limari Valley, 2009Really impressive tar-and-violet-scentedChilean syrah with a succulent palate.14.5% The 2010 follows.ref AM-CE6391£9.75 bottle £117 dozenMaycas Del Limarí ReservaPinot Noir, 2012Lovely wine produced by Maycas fromtheir eight-year-old vineyards at San Juliánon the southern bank of the Limarí river.Pretty, black-cherry pinot aromas but withimpressive structure of sweet tanninsproviding a good middle palate. Aged inbarrel for a year. 14%ref AM-CE6771£9.95 bottle £119 dozenWHITESNEW Concha y Toro CorteIgnacio Casablanca SauvignonBlanc, 2012From south-west Casablanca, one of thecoolest parts of the valley, this is fresh,slightly tropical sauvignon blanc of highquality offered at a very good price. 13%ref AM-CE6801£7.50 bottle £90 dozenFaldeos Nevados Torrontés, 2012Lovely grapy torrontés with a fresh andcitrusy nuance from the Altamira sourcedgrapes. Fresh and appetising. 40% CalchaquiValley fruit, 30% La Rioja and 30% Altamira,Mendoza. 14%ref AM-AR2731£7.50 bottle £90 dozenConcha y Toro Corte MarceloLimarí Chardonnay, 2010Marcelo Papa makes the Maycas del Limaríwines and has been a great champion ofthe Limarí valley. This comes principallyfrom the superb El Tangue vineyard and is90% tank fermented with just 10% barrelfermentedwine to provide a little moredepth of flavour without masking the wine’slatent minerality. 14% The 2011 follows.ref AM-CE6251£7.50 bottle £90 dozenTo order thewinesociety.com/southamerica 01438 740222 smartphone app5

NEW Litoral Leyda ValleySauvignon Blanc, 2012Lovely nettle-leaf scented sauvignon blanc.Made by gifted new winemaker StefanoGandolini at Ventolera, who have some ofthe best vineyards in Leyda. 14%ref AM-CE6981£7.75 bottle £93 dozenTabalí Reserva EspecialSauvignon Blanc, Limarí Valley,2012Brisk, taut, almost saline sauvignon blanc ina most mineral style. Made from the Calizavineyard, one of the coolest in Chile. Cleanas a whistle. Ideal with seafood. 13.5%ref AM-CE6891£8.50 bottle £102 dozenWINES MORE THAN £10 A BOTTLESouth America is developing greatercomplexity in its top wines, sometimes by amove to subtle blends rather than singlevarietalwines, and often forsaking out-andoutpower in favour of wines which showmore fi nesse, and which in turn are moreenjoyable and drinkable.Zaha Altamira Malbec is a great exampleof this. From the fi ne 2010 vintage andthe cool Altamira region at over 1000maltitude, where malbecs develop a prettyfl oral character, and where the limestoneand silty soils give a gentle silky texture.Co-fermentation with some cabernet francand petit verdot adds a further nuance ofcomplexity. This is a wine of intensity offl avour, not power, which is delicious nowyet will develop even further complexityfrom cellaring.Brioso is Susana Balbo’s outstandinglybeautiful blend given a little bottle ageand now really starting to open upand blossom. Valdivieso’s Eclat is alovely Rhône-style red made with veryold carignan blended with syrah andmourvèdre. Gran Bodegon is a complexmerlot blend from Uruguay.New this year is Torres Manso deVelasquez made from a vineyard planted inabout 1902. This wine has that remarkableold-vine texture which is characterised bya caressing feel from sweet tannins andvelvety fruit.De Martino Legado LimaríChardonnay, 2011Crisp, refreshing Limarí chardonnay fromone of the pioneers of the valley. 13.5%ref AM-CE6851£8.50 bottle £102 dozenCatena Chardonnay, 2011Top-quality barrel-fermented Argentinechardonnay made from high-altitudevineyards. Rich but balanced by a pleasingfreshness. 13.5%ref AM-AR2691£9.95 bottle £119 dozenMendel Alta Mira Semillon, 2012From a 70-year-old vineyard in Alta Mira,this is a superb example of semillon, withtypical greengage aromas and old-vinetexture. The warmer 2012 vintage is alittle fuller and riper than the cooler 2011vintage. Now to 2017. 13.5%ref AM-AR2761£9.75 bottle £117 dozenFREE UK NAME-THE-DAYDELIVERYWHEN YOU ORDER AT LEAST12 BOTTLES OR IF YOURORDER IS £75 OR MORESEE THEWINESOCIETY.COM/NAMETHEDAY6REDSUndurraga TH Alto MaipoCabernet Sauvignon, 2010Lovely cedary cabernet from cool vineyardshigh up in the Upper Maipo, aged in barrelsfor 14 months, 50% of which were new.Now to 2018. 14% The 2011 follows.ref AM-CE6501£11.25 bottle £135 dozenNEW Atlántico Sur GarzónVineyard Maldonaldo Tannat,2011Floral, blackberry fruit tannat from a new,very cool area in the east of Uruguayproducing refi ned wines.ref AM-UR291£11.95 bottle £143 dozenMaycas del Limarí Pinot NoirReserva Especial, 2011Even better than the maiden 2010 vintage.The wine has an extra freshness andintensity while preserving the lovely ripecherryaromas and the impressive midpalatedepth that sets Limarí pinots apart.Now to 2017. 14%ref AM-CE6781£11.95 bottle £143 dozenNEW Atlántico Sur ReserveGarzón Vineyard Maldonado-Tannat-Merlot, 2011Gorgeous round plummy merlotunderpinned by rich and velvety tanninsfrom the tannat. Now to 2017. 13.5%ref AM-UR281£12.50 bottle £150 dozen

Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon,2010Fine, cedar and violet-scented Argentinecabernet from a 15-year-old vineyard atPerdriel. Fresh, fi rm, linear cabernet of greatclass, aged a year in Taransaud barriques.Now to 2018. 14.5%ref AM-AR2771£12.95 bottle £155 dozenMendel Malbec, 2010Made from a vineyard planted in 1928 inthe Mayor Drummond area of Mendoza,near Lunlunta. 2010 was a fi ne and coolyear giving an intense fl oral, scented noseand a medium-bodied, refreshing palate ofconsiderable elegance. Decant half an hourbefore serving. Now to 2018. 14%ref AM-AR2781£12.95 bottle £155 dozenNEW Ventolera Pinot Noir,Leyda Valley, 2011Lovely black-fruit aromas of cherriesand plums, supported by ripe tanninsembedded in the silky texture. 70% aged inwood for six months. Now to 2017. 14%ref AM-CE6991£13.95 bottle £167 dozenNEW Valdivieso Eclat, 2008Powerful and opulently spicy Chilean blendfrom 65% dry-farmed 80-year-old bushvinecarignan, with 20% mourvèdre and15% syrah. It was matured for 12 months inbarrel. Now to 2018. 14%ref AM-CE6831£14.95 bottle £179 dozenMendel Unus, 2010Made from 70% malbec from a vineyardplanted in 1928 in Perdriel, Argentina, with30% cabernet sauvignon from a 15-yearoldvineyard, aged for about 15 months inbarriques. Intense perfume and fi ne silkypalate. Decant 30 minutes before serving.Now to 2026. 14.5%ref AM-AR2831£19 bottle £228 dozenNEW Susana Balbo Brioso, 2007Susana Balbo’s wonderful cabernetsauvignon-based blend from Mendoza hasa fi ne cedary nose and palate combiningconcentration with great length. Impressiveand complex blend of 60% cabernetsauvignon, 15% malbec, 10% merlot,10% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot.Matured in new French oak for 14 months.Now to 2020. 13.5%ref AM-AR2741£19.50 bottle £234 dozenNEW Gran Bodegon, 2009Fine, elegant Uruguayan wine withBordeaux-like balance. It was made from42% tannat, 24% cabernet sauvignon, 20%cabernet franc, 10% merlot, 2% petit verdotand 2% marselan. It was aged in perfectconditions for 22 months in barriques in abeautiful vaulted cellar built in 1830 by DonFrancisco Juanicó. Now to 2022. 13%ref AM-UR301£21 bottle £252 dozenZaha Altamira Malbec, 2010Altamira is a cool district with most vinesgrown at around 1000m. It produces someof Mendoza’s most scented and fi nesttexturedmalbecs. The sandy, silty soils givean exquisite, fi ne-grained silky texture.Zaha is made by ex-Catena viticulturist andwinemaker Alejandro Sejanovitch from 90%malbec, 8% cabernet franc and 2% petitverdot aged in barrel for about a year. Nowto 2020. 14%ref AM-AR2651£21 bottle £252 dozenNEW Catena Alta CabernetSauvignon, 2009Exquisite Argentine cabernet of the highestquality with textbook cedary aromas and afi ne, very long palate. Now to 2024. 14%ref AM-AR2811£23 bottle £276 dozenSanta Rita Casa Real Maipo, 2008Casa Real is the jewel in Santa Rita’scrown. Its greatness is derived from thetwo excellent vineyards it is made from,Carneros planted in 1962 and Poblaciónplanted in 1973, at Alto Jahuel in theUpper Maipo region. The wine is agedin new French oak for about 18 months.A lovely, elegant, cedary wine capable oflong development in bottle, especially thesuperbly balanced 2008 vintage, a fi ne, coolyear. Now to 2024. 14.5%ref AM-CE6611£23 bottle £276 dozenNEW Torres Manso de Velasquez,2009From a cabernet sauvignon vineyardplanted around 1902, this is a beautifulChilean red with a very pure blackcurrantnose and that special, velvety, seductive, oldvinetexture. Aged in barrel for about 16months. Now to 2022. 14%ref AM-CE6941£25 bottle £300 dozenOcio, Pinot Noir, 2010Chile’s best pinot noir is made from yieldslower than some grand cru Burgundy. Thisis a concentrated yet fi ne-fl avoured winewith lovely black-cherry aromas. Now to2018. 14%ref AM-CE6811£31 bottle £372 dozenWHITESCatena Alta Chardonnay, 2010Catena owns some of Mendoza’s highestvineyards, in this case an astonishing plotat 1400m. Chardonnay produced herehas wonderfully pure, concentrated fruitfl avours, and naturally high balancing acidity.This elegant barrel-fermented bottling isbold and luscious with a fantastic array ofstone-fruit aromas, a fi ne minerality on thepalate and a long, mouthwatering fi nish.Best decanted. Now to 2016. 14%ref AM-AR2681£17 bottle £204 dozenTo order thewinesociety.com/southamerica 01438 740222 smartphone app7