FANOA and VICAP

FANOA and VICAP – Some new forces to be reckoned with in wine producing Chile

Winery: FANOA – Familia Narváez, Ovalle y Asociados

Region: Colchagua Valley

Wine: Seis Tintos

Type: Red Blend

 

 

Varietals: Malbec, Durif, Carmenere, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Production: 5,000 bottles

 

 

Wine: Cosmos

Type: Rose

 

Varietal Malbec, Tempranillo, Mourverdre

 

Production: 1,500 bottles

 

 

VICAP

Wine:  Los Confines

 

 

Type: White

 

Varietal: Moscatel de Alejandria

 

Production: 5,500 bottles

 

This is a piece to introduce Raul Narváez, a good friend and collaborator we met in Chile and who is responsible for a few pallets in our portfolio.  Read ahead and you’ll understand why.  We begin with a brief background of the regions of Colchagua and Bio Bio as reference to the two regions where the wines we have from this enologist.

Colchagua Valley, in Central Chile, is one of South America’s most promising wine regions.  The Colchagua Valley boasts textbook wine-growing climate: warm, but cooled by ocean breeze and dry.  Some of Chile’s most famous wines come from this region: Clos Apalta, by Casas Lapostolle and the presence of Los Vascos in a joint venture with Santa Rita and Rothschild are prime examples. Colchagua is slightly cooler than famous Maipo region to the north, but still maintains a Mediterranean climate.  Steep slopes are the prime location for wine growing as vines take advantage of sunlight and also free draining granitic soils.  Hillside sites tend to be cooler that those in the valley and enjoy more pronounced temperature variation which provides a good balance of ripeness and acidity.

Araucania region is one of Chile’s most southern wine producing regions.  It has experienced significant rise since the start of the millennium given some of the aromatic, crisp wines coming this region and highlighting some of the new trend in winemaking in Chile showing that it is more than Cabernet Sauvignon.  Araucania lies 550 km south of Santiago, between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Range.  Araucania is one of Chile’s most extreme wine-producing regions, experiencing more wind, rain and climatic variation than most of the country.  The cool climate and extended seasons is better suited to producing complex aromatics in white wine. Araucania is an area growing in popularity and we are proud to showcase this region in our portfolio.

We were fortunate enough to have met Raul in his small vineyard in Agua Santa.  In aprox. 2 hectares he grows, biodynamically, Malbec, Tempranillo, Durif, Carignan, Carmenere, Petit Sirah, Sangiovese, Zynfandel, Mourverdre and in small amounts Viognier and Pinot Blanc, which he uses for producing his 6 Tintos wine, his Rose and experimenting new things.  Raul is very active and just released a Rose with 3 varieties and we are thrilled to be able to bring this to you.

We feel extremely fortunate to have met Raul. He’s reach extends well beyond his site in Colchagua and he has a JV with Juan Pablo Lepin where they are producing a white Mostatel de Alejandria in Araucania region, specifically in Malleco Valley, Angol.  The story behind this wine is incredible.  The grapes for this wine come from a field in a prison and are harvested by inmates.  Inmates learn about wine and about the production as part of the effort to help with their social reinsertion.

We are in talks with Raul about some other of his creations, but we’re very happy with the discoveries we will bring to you and we trust that these wines will open your eyes to the “new Chile” wines.   Enjoy and check the links to the Technical notes of each wine.   Salud!