Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/237615
Big Daddy of Chilean Wine: Marcelo Papa M PHOTOS: ELIZABETH KATE arcelo Papa is Head Winemaker for Concha y Toro's internationally acclaimed Casillero del Diablo and Marqués de Casa Concha range. Launched in 1963, Casillero del Diablo exports 4.8 million cases of wine per year to 130 different countries. The wines are well priced at about $12 per bottle. The Marqués de Casa Concha line is a different beast altogether. Priced in the $25 range, they are single-vineyard wines designed to exemplify the splendor and purity of each variety, offering dazzling quality at an attractive price. Papa loves his work and it shows. "I am not trying to imitate any style with my wines," he asserts. "I simply want to represent the best of the unique terroir found in Chile." Indeed, Chile is a winemaker's dream with plenty of sunshine as well as cooling ocean breezes and icy winds off the Andes. The availability of abundant land and labor completes the picture. Fine wine can be produced here at very low cost. —Elizabeth Kate Baptiste Cuvelier: A Frenchman in Santiago B aptiste Cuvelier is a Bordelais winemaker living in Santiago, Chile, where he doesn't bother trying to fit in with the locals. He makes wine his own way, taking advantage of the incredible natural resources available to him in both Chile and Argentina. The self-described "black sheep" of a prestigious winemaking family in St. Julien, Cuvelier is a craft winemaker who devotes himself to his art. Cuvelier learned winemaking on his feet in the family business and got a technical degree in vine growing and oenology in Muscadet. He strongly believes in small production and natural winemaking. He seeks to improve the land, not destroy it. "I want a product that's alive," he insists. For Cuvelier, it's all about the grape. His respect and praise go to the vine grower alone. "A winemaker is key when the grapes are mediocre, much less important when the grapes are high quality." And Cuvelier's grapes are indeed of high quality. In his Casas de Bucalemu Sauvignon Blanc, the fruit is pure and bright with a refreshing acid backbone. His Cuvelier Los Andes is remarkable for its intensity of flavor throughout the collection. From Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Syrah, to the classic Bordeaux blend, all are noteworthy for their layers of rich fruit backed by firm acidity, definitive tannins and strong notes of earthy minerality. The black sheep of Bordeaux has made impressive strides in the winemaking world. —E. K. Baptiste Cuvelier's wines are distributed by Hillside Wines Spirits in California and Regency Wines Nevada. Baptiste Cuvelier. january 2014 / the tasting panel / 19 TP0114_001-33.indd 19 12/19/13 9:23 PM