Chile - Avaliação das Safras de 1997 a 2009

O primeiro país que teve suas safras descritas aqui no Enoleigos foi a Argentina.

Neste post trazemos a avaliação, pela Wine Spectator, das safras chilenas de 1997 a 2009.

Notem que a safra de 2005 realmente foi sensacional e que, é claro que com algumas exceções, as safras ímpares realmente costumam ser superiores as pares!

In Vino Veritas!

Gustavo Kauffman (GK)

Chile - Avaliação das Safras de 1997 a 2009

Vintage: 2009

Score: 86-89

Drink: NYR

Description: Another warm, very dry growing season, though yields slightly higher than previous years; inland valleys more variable than cooler coastal spots. Whites are ripe and forward; tannin management key for reds.

Vintage: 2008

Score: 89

Drink: Drink or hold

Description: Long, very dry growing season resulted in reduced yields but greater concentration. Similar in style to 2003; achieving balance with sometimes rugged structures was key.

Vintage: 2007

Score: 92

Drink: Drink or hold

Description: Cooler temperatures through the growing season resulted in a late harvest and reduced yields. Reds show supple textures and excellent length.

Vintage: 2006

Score: 91

Drink: Drink or hold

Description: Long, very dry growing season with warm days and cool nights; consistent through all valleys. Late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère very promising; similar to '05 but a shade less concentrated.

Vintage: 2005

Score: 93

Drink: Drink or hold

Description: Long, moderate growing season consistent through all valleys. Reds show lots of ripe, soft tannins; Cabernet excelled.

Vintage: 2004

Score: 88

Drink: Drink

Description: Cool start to growing season with warm finish, then harvest split by rains: Carmenère suffered while later-ripening Cabernet strong; whites harvested in excellent shape.

Vintage: 2003

Score: 91

Drink: Drink

Description: Cool start followed by a long season of warm days and cool nights; wines show power and structure from all major valleys.

Vintage: 2002

Score: 88

Drink: Drink

Description: Split vintage: North (Aconcagua, Casablanca and Maipo) produced excellent wines, while harvesttime rains in the South (Curicó and Maule) caused problems; Rapel caught in the middle.

Vintage: 2001

Score: 92

Drink: Drink

Description: Dry, hot summer and low yields produced many solid wines; Aconcagua, Maipo and Rapel excelled.

Vintage: 2000

Score: 87

Drink: Drink

Description: Cool growing season, with a large crop. Best wines have balance and forward fruit, but controlling yields was key.

Vintage: 1999

Score: 91

Drink: Drink

Description: Drought conditions produced small crop of ripe, concentrated reds with big tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo and Rapel is superb.

Vintage: 1998

Score: 78

Drink: Past

Description: peak Harvest hit hard by El Niño rains; few successes.

Vintage: 1997

Score: 88

Drink: Drink

Description: A drought year that provided dense, brawny reds; concentrated, but lacks polish of '99.

Note: Most Chilean white wines should be drunk on release.

A score range indicates preliminary analysis based on barrel samples and/or a limited sampling; many wines of the vintage not yet reviewed.

Vintage ratings: 95-100, classic; 90-94, outstanding; 85-89, very good; 80-84, good; 75-79, mediocre; 50-74, not recommended

Drinkability: "NYR" means the vintage has not yet been released; "drink" means most of the wines of the vintage are ready to drink; "hold" means most of the ageworthy wines have yet to fully mature; "past peak" means most of the wines are declining rather than improving.