Top 100 red wines of Coquimbo - Page 3

Discover the top 100 best red wines of Coquimbo as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Coquimbo and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Coquimbo

The Elqui Valley wine region is located 400 kilometers (250mi) North of the Chilean capital, Central-valley/maipo-valley/santiago">Santiago, at the very southern edge of the Atacama Desert. Its latitude of 29° makes it Chile's northernmost wine region, for now at least; the country's determined wine pioneers are now setting their sights as far north as the Atacama. Traditionally the region focused exclusively on producing Chile's trademark brandy, Pisco, but today Elqui Valley vineyards are producing Bright, intensely Aromatic wines, most notably from Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah. As might be expected in an arid, largely uninhabited region surrounded by desert, the valley is hot and Dry making irrigation essential in all vineyards here.

The Elqui province is famous for its bright sunshine, pure air and Clear skies as well as a number of astronomical observatories. Vineyards here receive far higher levels of solar radiation than any European wine region, and this seems to translate into the wine style. The vibrant intensity of Elqui Valley wines, when yields and potential Alcohol are kept in check, can be quite remarkable. The secret to successful viticulture this close to the equator is altitude.

Elqui's vineyards sit up to 2,000 meters (6,550ft) above sea level, which means that the Warm, bright, days are followed by cool, fresh nights. This diurnal temperature variation lengthens the grape growing season, of which allows grapes time to develop intense varietal character, while retaining refreshing levels of acidity. Wineries all over Chile now focus heavily on the altitude of their vineyards. Altitude has become as much a marketing tool as a key element of terroir.

Discover the grape variety: Pinot noir

Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Coquimbo

red wines from the region of Coquimbo go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of wild boar with honey, lamb chops with figs and honey or duck legs with cider and small onions.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Coquimbo

On the nose in the region of Coquimbo often reveals types of flavors of oak, spices or black fruit and sometimes also flavors of non oak, earth or red fruit. In the mouth in the region of Coquimbo is a powerful.

News from the vineyard of Coquimbo

Preview: Tesco’s spring/summer tasting

Decanter attended Tesco’s spring/summer 2022 portfolio tasting at the end of April where over 140 wines were on show, 38 of which are new to the range. In anticipation of the full list of top buys, to follow soon, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites to get you in the mood for spring. Tesco’s wine buying team highlighted 24 wines as their must-try buys, and five of these have featured in our initial spring roundup below. We think they showcase the diversity of the Tesco range and the value t ...

Hugh Johnson: ‘Château-owners’ secret, they always said, was in their special soil’

It’s quite an admission to make, and the blushes rise to my cheeks as I make it, that when I wrote my first books on wine (up to and including my The World Atlas of Wine, first edition 1971) I was convinced, and told my readers, that the clear and constant differences between the communes of Bordeaux, and their châteaux, were first and foremost the consequences of their different soils, ranging from the light, fast-draining openness of gravel in Graves to a heavier mix with clay in St-Estèphe. ...

Château Lassègue names seventh-generation vigneron Nicolas Seillan as its new winemaker

Seillan takes on his new role in addition to his current position as senior vice president of finance, Château Lassègue and Tenuta di Arceno. Château Lassègue said Seillan will continue to work alongside his father, renowned vigneron Pierre Seillan, who said: ‘I am proud that my son Nicolas will continue in the tradition of our family lineage as a seventh-generation vigneron, and bring his passion and respect for the great terroirs and wines of France.’ Born into a family of French vignerons, Ni ...