EVENTS AND NEWS

Two Sides of the Andes Face Off

July 24, 2007

 

On Tuesday, September 11th, local press and trade gathered at Studio 450 – an ultra-modern loft that seems to reach into the heavens with its gleaming white walls and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline – to experience the past, present, and future of Montes Winery.

This landmark event evaluated ten years of the finest vintages of Montes’ iconic Alpha M – a Bordeaux-style blend – introduced the next generation of family members joining the winery, and previewed components of new wines from Chile, Argentina, and Montes’ latest project in the Napa Valley.

ANOTHER GENERATION OF MONTES AND MURRAY INTRODUCED

Under floating angel wing décor, the event kicked off with a short video tour of Montes Winery’s Chilean vineyards. The video also featured Founding Partner Douglas Murray – who gave an overview of the winery’s history and presented his son Dennis Murray, now Marketing Manager of Montes Winery. After the video, Aurelio Montes, now the technical director and president, introduced his son, Aurelio Montes del Campo, who recently took over as chief winemaker. Del Campo decided to join Montes only after training with experts at Rosemont Estate and Cape Mentelle in Australia, Franciscan Winery in the Napa Valley, and most recently, Ventisquero Winery in Chile.

MAKING WINE AROUND THE WORLD

For the very first time, Aurelio Montes and Aurelio Montes del Campo presided over the technical seminar together. Right from the winery’s early days, Aurelio Montes firmly established the winery’s reputation as one of Chile’s premium wine producers, producing wines from the finest terroirs. Aurelio Montes presented a ten-year retrospective of the Alpha M. In 1996, the winery introduced this Bordeaux-style blend, then a groundbreaking wine for Chile. Produced from grapes grown on the steep slopes of the La Finca de Apalta estate in the Colchagua Valley, the vineyard is planted with 100% un-grafted vines using classic French Bordeaux trellising and high density planting (over 2,500 vines per acre). During his presentation, Aurelio focused on the eight finest vintages of this super-premium wine: the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, and the recently released 2005 vintage. He described the 2005 Alpha M as “an intensely powerful wine with soft, round, solid tannins, well-defined character and a harmonious balance of fruit and oak, giving it the possibility to age for more than 10 years.”

During Montes del Campo’s presentation, he explained that, “My father has been a pilot for many years. He has used his love of flying to find new terroirs around Chile. In contrast, I have been a skydiver for many years. I get closer to the ground in order to find micro-terroirs inside of our vineyards, and better understand the composition of different soil types.”

Montes del Campo conducted a component tasting of Carmenère from Chile, Malbec from Argentina, and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley – all of which were produced by the Montes winemaking team. Each of the components shown were from two different vineyards in each country that ultimately will be blended together to achieve the final product. In answer to a question about the difference between a Napa Cabernet and a Colchagua Cabernet, Aurelio Montes said “There’s slightly more elegance in these wines. The Chilean Cabernets have more fruit and minty-ness, which could be due to the vineyards proximity to the ocean. However, there are common denominators: ripe fruit, soft tannins, and good acidity.”

A CROSS-CONTINENTAL LUNCHEON

After the comprehensive review of Montes wines from around the world, guests enjoyed a cross-continental lunch prepared by Danny Meyer’s Hudson Yards Catering. The meal started off with the creamy, full-bodied Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2005. Its banana, pineapple and tropical fruits, well-integrated oak, and pleasant, buttery finish paired delightfully with a Chilean-inspired Scallop Ceviche with Citrus, Coriander, Lime and Fresh Chili’s. The Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 and Montes Alpha Syrah 2005 won rave reviews when served with the savory entrée, a tender Argentinean Style Hanger Steak with Rösti Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach, & Steak Sauce of Garlic, Olive Oil & Cilantro. The event ended on a sweet note when the Montes Late Harvest Gewürztraminer 2006 was paired with a California-inspired Stone Fruit Crisp with Crème Fraiche Sorbet.

FOREVER FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE

Always two steps ahead, Aurelio Montes ended the event by noting that he and Founding Partner Douglas Murray had no plans to retire anytime soon. “We are, however, very excited about the contributions the next generation has already started to make. In 2005, my son began working with Pedro Parra, the only Chilean with a PhD in terroir from the Grignon Institute in Paris, to explore micro-terroirs within our estates. At present, we have discovered three different soil types from different geological origins in our Apalta estate, and three different micro-terroirs in our Marchigue estate. Different varieties are being planted in these areas to explore the perfect combination of terroir and grape variety. Innova Chile, a government institution, is supporting our research, as they recognize this will be an invaluable tool in educating smaller grape growers about terroir and micro terroir within the Apalta Valley.”

 

Contact

Montes
Av. Del Valle 945, Of. 2611
Ciudad Empresarial, Huechuraba
Santiago 6583107
Chile
Tel: 56-2-248-4805

Visit their Website:
www.monteswines.com

 

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