We first met Polkura Proprietor/Winemaker Sven Bruchfeld on a trip to Chile not long before the global pandemic shut down the world in terms of travel. We recently sat down with him again (virtually) and covered everything from Harvest 2021, to dry farming (combined with creative irrigation techniques), the purpose behind MOVI (the Movement of Independent Vintners) and what he’s working on next. Click on the video below for the full interview:
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Chile’s climate provides ideal conditions for Carménère.
There are certain wine regions in the world that are known for a particular grape variety. For example, the Napa Valley is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, Burgundy for Pinot Noir and Argentina for Malbec. Then there are the regions that have so many different unique micro-climates they can produce a much greater variety of high-quality wines. Sonoma is one that comes to mind with its 17 different AVAs and 259 different soil types. On a recent trip to Chile, we discovered that although it’s a place often associated with Carménère, it’s finally gaining notoriety for its quality with respect to a diverse range of varieties. For the last 3 decades, Viña Montes has been at the forefront of this transformation helping to reposition the country’s reputation worldwide both with quality and diversity.
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Washington State’s Force Majeure’s Syrah wine.
Syrah, also known as Shiraz (in Australia) is getting on more and more wine consumers’ radars. And for good reason. It can make delicious wine, it has long been a favourite among sommeliers, and is grown in many different regions that result in many different styles. Something for everyone! In this article we hope to give you what you need to know about Syrah, whether as an introduction to the wine or to expand your horizons.
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Sven Bruchfeld
We first encountered Polkura when Sven Bruchfeld, the winery’s founder, joined us and our group of wine travelers for lunch while we toured the wineries of Chile and Argentina. This particular lunch was the kick-off for our tour, and what a kick-off it was. On the edge of downtown Santiago is the incredible restaurant called Pinpilinpausha. Pinpilinpausha is the Basque word for butterfly. The restaurant was started in 1940 by the Sanz-Raab family of Spain. Their goal was to bring the style and flavours of Basque cooking to South America. For almost 80 years it has been one of Santiago’s, and in fact, one of Chile’s, top restaurants.
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2007 Chateau de Beaucastel
2007 Chateau de Beaucastel
Gorgeous wine that is brimming with black cherry and plum fruit that gains lots of complexity from the espresso, dried herbs and spice secondary notes. Just entering maturity now, this should provide great drinking for another decade at least. Medium/full body with polished tannin this has a tremendous mouthfeel: full and round without being heavy. We have drank Beaucastel going back to the 1998 vintage and this is their best effort yet.
Extraordinary
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