Trip to Chile - Part II

Apologies for the wait between my Chile blogs, but here is the news on the rest of my Chile trip.

After leaving Santiago, we head towards the coast. Valparaiso was the destination. Valparaiso is Chile's 2nd largest (in terms of population) city. It is also the main harbour for the country and it is views of tankers and container yards that dominate most of the views. It is city with a real bohemian vibe thanks to all the graffiti and painted steps all over the city. We had dinner in a fantastic seafood restaurant and enjoyed ceviche and oysters!

The following day we visited the Pumanque Valley, near the coast. This is a recently discovered valley for viticulture and Santa Rita were the first to plant vines here. It is only 20km (approx.) from the coast so it has a strong Pacific influence. This makes it a great valley to grow Merlot and Syrah. The views here are stunning and winemaking from this valley is still relatively undiscovered. Lunch was a lovely BBQ'd lamb next to the lake with plant of refreshing Sauvignon Blanc and some lovely Merlot. Bliss!

After a night in Valparaiso we then made our way to Buin (south of Santiago) to the home of Santa Rita and Carmen; Casa Real. Here we stayed in the fantastic Casa Real Hotel. We visited the Andean museum and enjoyed a full tasting of the Santa Rita range, including the Triple C and Casa real blend. A fantastic dinner was enjoyed with a few bottles of Casa Real and a night cap of Remy Martin VSOP!

Our final day involved a visit to the nursery and the biodynamic vineyards of Nativa Wines. We also had a full tasting of the Carmen wines, a tour of the Santa Rita winery and a cycle around the beautiful grounds of the Casa Real Hotel.

All in all the trip was an amazing experience. It was my first visit to South America and Chile is a wonderful country to visit.

Casa Real Hotel

Painted steps in Valparaiso

Inside the Santa Rita winery

Stay tuned for more wine updates and news. Follow me on Twitter @roberthaynes88

Visit to Chile with Santa Rita and Carmen Wines - March 2014

It has been a little while since my last post, but hopefully the wait will have been worth it as I can now report on my recent trip to Chile! I have never been to South America before and I was lucky enough to visit Chile with Santa Rita and Carmen wines. It was a fantastic week and over the next blog or two I shall let you know what I got up to!

After a long overnight flight from London to Santiago, via Madrid, we arrived at the hotel at lunchtime. We had an hour or so to relax by the pool before we headed to the Mercado Central (Central Market) for some much needed lunch! Cerviche, fried Monkfish, Calamari and a couple of King Crabs were exactly what we needed; especially as a few bottles of Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc were also on the table! Lunch was followed by a brief stroll around the old city centre and a trip up to the San Cristobal hill for some spectacular views over the city.

The following day (Monday) was met with a couple of sore heads after a few beers in Bella Vista when we hopped on our bus to visit the Apalta Valley. We were visiting the vineyards of Carmen's Reserva Syrah; a robust, fruity Syrah that was enjoyed in the vineyard. The Apalta Valley is also home to the famous Lapostelle Clos Apalta vineyards and winery. Which unfortunately we did not get to try but we did see the winery across the valley. This valley is home to some fantastic Syrah and Carmenere vines and the scenery is absolutely stunning.

Monday evening was spent in 'The Happening Restaurant', a fantastic steak house in Santiago. Dinner was enjoyed with Santa Rita's 2007 Pehuen Carmenere. The steak was good, but this wine was fantastic! I have been lucky enough to try it before, but I was reminded just how good it is. Carmenere is still a rather 'new' grape and one whose potential has not been fully realised. This wine is a great example of just how good this grape can be. Most of us who have had Carmenere have enjoyed very youthful and fruity styles. 2007 is now 7 years old and this wine really shows how Carmenere can develop into a rich, savoury, gamey style with lots of herbaceous characters as well as lots of fresh and dried fruits. This wine is a must for anyone who wants to further explore the potential of Chilean wine.

The Pehuen 2007 was awared 91 points by Wine Spectator and fully deserves the accolades. The grapes are soured from the Apalta Valley from 70 year old vines. This wine is very difficult to find in the UK but is well worth it if you can find it!

More to follow from my trip to Chile. Follow me on Twitter @roberthaynes88

View of the Lapostelle Clos Apalta winery in Apalta Valley

Syrah vines in Apalta Valley

View of Apalta Valley

Six Nations Tipples

It is that time of year when the Six Nations is upon us! Whether you are a Rugby fan or not this is a fantastic competition to get behind your nation! A great way to do this is to choose your tipple of choice!

It could be Guinness for the Irish, a lovely single malt Scotch for the Scottish, a pint of Brains for the Welsh, a glass of Bordeaux for the French, a Limoncello for the Italians or a glass of English Sparkling for the English.

Which ever tipple you decide to drink over the Six Nations let me know on Twitter @roberthaynes88 using #sixnationstipple

Celebrate your country's produce or indulge yourself in a drink from another nation!!

Wine Review - Yalumba Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012, Australia

With wallets on lockdown after Christmas, this wine is a great value red to help keep you warm in this rainy weather!

Yalumba are a great Australian producer and this wine is perfect for this chilly weather. Warm notes of blackcurrant, pepper and cranberry on the nose are followed by plenty of black fruit, pepper and menthol. This is a light bodied, fruity style which makes it perfect for drinking on its own but it will pair very well with spaghetti bolognese (tried and tested) and grilled meats.

Available at Majestic Wines for £7.99 (when you buy 2 or more, £9.99 single price).

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Wine Review - Domaine Tempier Bandol, 2010, South of france

Bandol is a little known region in Provence, down in the south of France. It might not be a name that immediately makes your ears prick up, but it should be!! Bandol is down on the Mediterranean coast nestled between Marseille and Toulon. This small appellation produces lovely rich rosés and blockbuster reds. It is a blockbuster red that I am reviewing. Mourvedre is the dominant grape variety with Syrah, Grenache and Carignan (amongst others) making up the rest of the blends.

The Domaine Tempier Bandol is 80% Mourvedre and is a fantastic example of what these wines are capable of. This wine is 2010 and has spent 18 months in old French oak. It has an inviting nose of black fruit, menthol, clove and sage.

The palate is even more appetising! It is full bodied with ripe, grippy tannins and a core of concentrated black cherry, plum and blackcurrant. Complexity then comes through in the form of pepper, sage, thyme and liquorice notes along with cloves and sweet spice from the oak. This wine also has a real gamey character with leathery notes.

All in all, this wine has it all! It is rich, full bodied, plenty of complexity and a hugely long finish. This wine can be enjoyed on its own by those who love big reds, or alternatively this wine will pair beautifully with duck cassoulet, rare beef and other hearty dishes. This wine will also benefit from cellaring for up to 10 years, if you have the patience!

This wine is available for around £25 from The Wine Society and I think it is worth every penny. If you want this kind of quality and complexity in wine from other areas then you would be paying double. This is a fantastic wine!

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Reviews En Route!!

I have just returned from a week at the WSET school in London as part of my diploma studies. I have had the opportunity to revisit some old favourites and also the chance to try some fantastic new wines! I am very excited to share some of these wines with you so keep your eyes peeled for some reviews of some of the highlights of the week!!

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