Now in the country, Chilean wine is synonymous with cheap and cost-effective. Once casually asked a friend what he thought of high-end Chilean wine, the other party was surprised and asked me: "What is the high-end wine in Chile?" Isn't it cheaper to buy it? ”
I immediately laughed and said, "That's because you haven't drunk well!" ”
You know, Bordeaux first-class Mouton and Dry Dew Group have joined forces to create the "Chilean wine king" living soul (Almaviva). In 2004, Chilean Errazuriz's Vina Chadwick and Sena beat Bordeaux's Top 5 Houses at the Berlin Blind Tasting Fair.
If Chile's best Bordeaux-style blends are living souls, then the best Syrah wine is Villard Tanagra Syrah!
On the wine list of the famous wine critic James Suckling (often abbreviated as JS), in 2013 Villatana Gesheira scored 97 points, and the editor checked the information, which is the highest score currently obtained by Chilean Syrah wine! This wine was also selected as "World's Top 100 Wines" and "Andean Top 100 Wines" by Sarcorin, and in 2012 it was selected as "Top 10 Chilean Wines" in Sarcorin.
Here's a word: James Sacklin is one of the "3 Most Famous Wine Critics in the World," along with Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson. He believes that "Chile is one of the most cost-effective and popular producing areas in the world". Incidentally, Sarcorin uses a 100-point grading system and focuses on wines over 90 points, so only two levels of criteria are set for 90 points or more: 90-94 for "Outstanding" and 95-100 for "Must-Buy" for 90-100.
Speaking of this wine, we have to mention villard fine wines, which built it. Founded in 1989, Vera Winery is located in the Casablanca Valley, Chile's most beautiful appellation of the Aconcagua seeds. Château Vera is Chile's first family-owned boutique winery dedicated to producing high-quality boutique wines. It can be said that as long as it is a wine produced by Vera, the quality will not be bad! For the past 20 years, Vera Winery has been recognized as one of the best producers in the Casablanca Valley.
When you see the award information of Vera Wines, you are once again shocked: a Chilean winery that has been established for just over 20 years can actually get so many high scores of 90+! Absolutely powerful! And it is not easy for a wine to get a high score, and each wine has a glorious resume, which is really admirable!
Each wine is excellent, and it can be said that it is a non-partial schoolmaster winery! One can't help but wonder, how was this winery built?
The founder of Vera Winery is Thierry Villard. His experience can be said to be the best interpretation of "the world is so big, I want to see it"!
Attached to vera's photo, the value is very high, is there!
Vera was born in France, grew up in Switzerland and went to university in England. At the age of 19, he left home and embarked on a journey to explore the world.
At the age of 20, he was in Australia. At the age of 21, he decided to go to South America to have a look. So, I took a small boat to Panama and then all the way to Chile. In Chile, he met the other half of his life. After only 7 months of acquaintance, they were married in San Diego. Then, in 1972, they had a wedding in Paris and set off again.
The Veras arrived in Afghanistan in a Volkswagen Beetle, but the war between Pakistan and India closed the border. So they simply sold their cars, took transportation to play in Asian countries, and when they arrived in Singapore, they took a boat to Perth, Australia, all the way to Melbourne, Victoria, and met their brother-in-law who immigrated to Australia as a winemaker.
Villa then decided to stay in Australia.
In 1973, he worked for Australian wine magnate Orlando Wines. This job enabled him to accumulate a lot of sales experience and, with his outstanding performance, was placed as a sales manager for the subsidiary Morris Wines. A few years later, Vera became Product Manager and Export Manager in the Marketing Department of Adelaide Head Office.
In their spare time, the Vera family went to Chile several times for vacations, and also met many friends in the wine circle in Chile. Although work life has already had a set track, Vera has not stopped pursuing. He began to have a different idea, wanted to own his own wine company, and his intuition told him that this company should be set up in Chile.
At the end of 1988, he quit his job and the family went to Chile to embark on another journey of their lives. He first worked as an export consultant for a number of Chilean wineries, opening up new markets for these wineries, creating new world-class brands, and establishing the image of a boutique wine producing country for Chile. It was during this period that he founded Vera Winery, which aims to produce fine wines.
Vera's vineyards
At that time, Chile's Casablanca Valley was considered unsuitable for growing grapes because of its too cold climate. But Vera realized that there were ideal terroirs for producing high-quality grapes, so she decided to develop her wine business in this virgin land.
It's a great place to be
Just as the so-called tiger father has no dog, Vera's son Jean-Charles is also a master who can toss!
After 3 years of studying agriculture in Chile and 2 years of viticulture and winemaking in Bordeaux, Jean-Charles began to travel around the world in many wine regions:
2000, Coordinates Australia's Hunter Valley, McWilliams Winery.
Villiera Wines, South Africa, 2001.
2002, Coordinates Bordeaux, Vignobles Despagne.
2004, Coordinates Bordeaux, Chateau Palmer.
2005, Coordinates Stoppa Winery, Italy.
2007, Coordinates Beaujolais, Château Christophe Pacalet and Château Marcel Lapierre.
Clos Vougeot, Chateau De La Tour, 2009.
This experience allowed Jean-Charles to grow and make wine by leaps and bounds. Today, together with his father, he runs Vera Winery.
Vera Winery is located in the Casablanca Valley, which is the "World's Outstanding Wine Capital" along with Bordeaux and Napa Valley.
The 8 world's best wine capitals selected by the "World's Outstanding Wine Capitals" (GWC) are Bordeaux in France, Rioja in Spain, Cape Town in South Africa, Rheinhessen in Germany, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal, and Napa in the United States Valley) and Casablanca, Chile.
The Casablanca Valley is relatively close to Santiago, the capital of Chile, 75 km northwest of it. Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, Casablanca Valley is very close to the ocean. Influenced by sea breezes and the Peruvian Cold Current, the region has a cool Mediterranean climate, with grapes enjoying a longer ripening period and more time to develop more complex flavors, while also maintaining a balance of sugar and acidity. It is also because of its cool climate that the Casablanca Valley is the only region in Chile that grows more white grape varieties than red grape varieties.
Casablanca's soil is mainly clay, sand and decomposed granite, which facilitates the deep roots of the vines, absorbing more nutrients and converting them into the grapes. In addition, there are no rivers in the production area, and the relatively dry environment actually helps to control the yield of grapes and improve the quality of grapes.
Vera advocates a boutique route and strives to make every wine perfect, so there are not many wines, there are 9 in total, which can be divided into 4 series: the top flagship series, Expresion Reserve, Grand Vin and Noble.
1. Flagship series
Villatana Gesella Red Wine – the best Syrah wine in Chile
Villard Tanagra Syrah
In 2014, Villatana Gesella scored 97 points, which is the highest score currently received by Chilean Syrah wine! This wine was also selected as "World's Top 100 Wines" and "Andean Top 100 Wines" by Sarcorin, and in 2012 it was selected as "Top 10 Chilean Wines" in Sarcorin.
The cool sea breeze of the Casablanca Valley creates this pure aroma and complex structure of Syrah, so this wine is named after the god of the wind, "Tanagra", the daughter of the god of the wind, Eole. Tanag sila red wines with stunning aromas of tar, jerky, flowers and fruit, are full-bodied, well-structured and have a long and fresh finish.
The Syrah that produces Tanag comes from a very small field on a steep slope, and the grapes are cultivated in a shrub-framed manner, with a planting density of up to 8,264 plants/ha, which is difficult and costly to grow, but the quality is very good. The winemaking method is very special, it is made entirely by hand, harvested, sorted, pressed and barreled, and the skin, fermentation and ripening are done in the same oak barrel, of which 65% are French barrels and 35% are American barrels, and the maturity time is 18 months.
2. Special brewing series
The special wine collection consists of three wines, blends, chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with grapes from the winery's best plots, highlighting the complex and harmonious beauty between fruity and oak flavors, with excellent ageing potential.
(1) Verrat red wine
Villard Grand Vin Blending
It is said that the proportion of the variety and the way of making wine were finalized after several debugging. This wine is a classic Bordeaux red wine blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and a proper blend of classic Bordeaux red grapes.
(2) Virat wine Chardonnay white wine
Villard Grand Vin Le Chardonnay
The wine is a complex winemaking process, first fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, then transferred to French oak barrels for fermentation for 16-19 days, of which 10% are malolactic fermentation, and then matured in French oak barrels for 8.5 months, with 51% of the new barrels used, during which the puree is regularly stirred to make the taste smoother and more mellow.
(3) Villatte makes Pinot Noir red wine
Villard Grand Vin Le Pinot Noir
This is another Vera high-scoring wine, with a JS of 96 in 2014 and a 95 in both 2013 and 2011!
The wine is fermented separately from plots of Pinot Noir and finally blended to create complex flavors. After harvest, the grapes are macerated at a low temperature of 8°C for 8 days, followed by 9 days of alcoholic fermentation, during which the caps are pressed and drizzled to fully extract the tannins, pigments and flavours in the peel, and leave for 7 days after fermentation is complete. It is then matured in the best oak barrels for 10 months.
3. Treasure series
The collection consists of four wines, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, a collection that combines complexity and character, emphasizing the wine's unique terroir and variety personality.
(1) Vera's Collection of Syrah Red Wines - "Alcohol" 4 stars "Highly Recommended"
Villard Expresion Reserve Syrah
In 2013, he received a 4-star rating from Decanter, or "Highly Recommended".
The wine is aged at a low temperature of 8°C for 7 days, then alcoholicly at 28-30°C for 10 days, then for another 7 days after fermentation, and after fermentation 60% of the wine is matured in French and American oak barrels for 11 months, and 40% of the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks.
(2) Vera treasures Pinot Noir red wines
Villard Expresion Reserve Pinot Noir
The wine is fermented separately from plots of Pinot Noir and finally blended to create complex flavors. After harvest, the grapes are macerated at a low temperature of 8°C for 7 days, followed by 8 days of alcoholic fermentation, during which the caps are pressed and drizzled to fully extract the tannins, pigments and flavours in the peel, and leave for 7 days after fermentation is complete. Of these, 8% of the wine is matured in oak barrels for 7 months.
(3) Vera treasures Chardonnay white wine
Villard Expresion Reserve Chardonnay
When the wine is brewed, it is fermented at a low temperature of 13-16°C in stainless steel tanks for 20 days, part of which is fermented for 2 days and then transferred to French oak barrels for further fermentation, then 20% is left in oak barrels for 7 months, and the remaining 80% is matured in stainless steel tanks.
(4) Vera treasures Sauvignon Blanc white wines
Villard Expresion Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
When the wine is made, the grapes are harvested and then pressed in whole bunches, then left at low temperatures for 24 hours, then fermented at a low temperature of 12-15°C for 18 days, then matured on the puree for 2 days and then changed barrels, and the wine fermented in batches was mixed, then matured on the fine puree for more than 4 months, and then filtered and bottled.
Such a labor-intensive brewing method makes this wine, in addition to having a rich fruity aroma and plant aroma of Sauvignon Blanc, it is also particularly complex and rounded, and the aftertaste is lingering.
4. Noble series
Vera noble sauvignon blanc
Villard Noble Botrytised Sauvignon Blanc
Vera also produces a high-end noble toner, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Vione. After the grapes have matured, they remain on the tree for 6 weeks, allowing the rot to grow and infect the grapes, leaving them highly concentrated in sugar, acidity and flavor. After harvesting and pressing, the grapes are fermented in 300 liters of French oak barrels for 8 months, after which they continue to mature for 30 months.
It should be pointed out that a brand like Vera that concentrates on making good wine is a great benefit for me and other melon-eating masses! Take Pinot Noir, which is known for its "expensive", buying a better French Pinot Noir is easy to buy for thousands of yuan, while Vera's Syrah is only a few hundred yuan, or from a family boutique winery with guaranteed quality! We don't have bad money, we're bad wine!
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