The biannual Opimian Offshore was in Chile this past November – the perfect opportunity to visit our Chilean suppliers and have presentations from our Argentinian ones. I was able to taste many of the wines on this Offering, and since Opimian has been with all these suppliers for many years now, I have sampled many of their wines over the years. Below are the ones I have enjoyed the most. Some current (or prospective) members might find my comments helpful in making their own selections – keeping in mind everyone has their own tastes and preferences! (Go to the end for more information about Opimian.)
Villard is located in the cool-climate Casablanca Valley although they also use grapes from Maipo for some of their red blands. My favourites from this house have always been those cool-climate favourites Chardonnay and Pinot Noir so both the #8939 Expresion Reserve Chardonnay and #8941 – Le Pinot Noir Grand Vin are on my possibles list. We tasted a tank sample of the Chard and it showed bright, yellow apple fruit with good acidity – very promising. Our tastings of #8938 Expresion Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and #8940 Expresion Reserve Syrah showed these to be absolutely wonderful – hard not to consider them too!
Roberto Echeverría Sr was our effervescent host along with the rest of his family for our visit to their home and winery in the Curicó Valley. Roberto has been a remarkable promoter of Chilean wines around the world from the early days of the country’s entry into international markets. Echeverría was one of Opimian’s original suppliers from Chile, so I had many of their wines over the years.
Echeverría have been developing their sparkling wine offerings, and the #8942 Luminous Brut Rosé is a very good value with fresh, tart, soft red fruit. Reds that deserve special mention include:
The highlight of our visit to Viña la Rosa was a masterclass in understanding Carmenère and how to make the best wine from the variety (covered in an earlier posting). On that basis, my highest recommendation is for #8960 Cornellana Barrel Reserve Winemaker’s Selection Carmenère. Other favourites of mine from this long-time Opimian supplier include #8951 Cornellana Sauvignon Blanc and #8954 Cornellana Reserve Chardonnay which always great value. #8957 Cornellana Barrel Reserve Carmenère Petit Verdot and #8961 Cornellana Cuvée Gran Reserva also caught my eye.
Bodegas y Viñedos O. Fournier – Chile & Argentina
O. Fournier hosted our group at their Cabernet Franc vineyard in Maule where the vines are 120 years old. The wine which comes from this vineyard is #8965 Alfa Centauri Cabernet Franc, Carignan. During our visit we tasted a flight of several vintages of its Argentinian cousin, #8972 Alfa Crux Malbec which clearly showed the pedigree of this label. The 2013, from my tasting, should prove to be a proud member of this family. I will also mention #8969 Blason de San Carlos Malbec which was rich with black and red bramble fruit and finished with smooth tannins.
Bodegas y Viñedos Mauricio Lorca
Mauricio Lorca presented some lovely wines to us and #8980 Ópalo Malbec deserves to be mentioned here with its wonderful fresh fruit expression and soft smooth tannins. I purchased last years equivalent of #8978 Lirico Winemaker’s Wines Malbec and have thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Opimian Society is “Canada’s wine club” and offers some 500 wines to 15,000 members across the country each year. All wines are selected by Master of Wine, Jane Masters, and sourced from suppliers from all the major wine regions of the world. Wines are ordered and delivered to members via the liquor boards or equivalent in each provincial and territorial jurisdiction (except Nunavut). Disclosure: I am member of the board of directors of the Opimian Society and former area representative.
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Steve Delaney
January 19, 2017
Argentina, Chile, Opimian Society
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