Marcio Ramirez had endured a 10-hour flight from Chile, landing in Boston on a cold, wintry February afternoon where the snowbanks were probably taller than most Latin American grapevines.
Still, the 44-year-old Concha y Toro winemaker was chipper upon entering the warm, cozy kitchen of Dr. Harvey Finkel’s Brookline home.
In Ramirez’s arms was a case of wine featuring Concha y Toro’s incredible Gran Reserva Serie Riberas (Riverbank Series).
It was the beginning of a splendid late afternoon delight: Ramirez guided Dr. Finkel and yours truly through a unique selection of terroir-driven wines, the presentation flowing smoothly like the three Chilean rivers that run from east (Pacific Ocean) to west (Andes Mountains) and serve to influence the winery’s vineyards where Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carmenere, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are cultivated.
(I admit I was humbled being in the presence of Dr. Finkel, a former clinical professor of medicine at BU Medical School and former director of the Oncology and Hematology Clinic at Brookline Hospital. For nearly two decades Finkel has been writing professionally about the health benefits of wine.)
Following the 2 1/2-hour tasting, I couldn’t pick a clear favorite. Chilean wines are good in general and these delivered impressive quality at an unbelievably consumer-friendly price — $18 each.
When I questioned the sanity of Concha y Toro’s owners on the pricing, Ramirez laughed before explaining the winery’s philosophy.
“We are proving we can make great wines at all the levels. This is good for Chile and people who love wine,” said Ramirez, who joined Conch y Toro in 1997 and has worked on its most prestigious labels, including the highly-acclaimed Don Melchor, Casillero del Diablo and Marques de Casa Concha.
Ramirez produces the red wines in the Riverbank Series, in which each variety is grown close to one of Chile’s major rivers — the Rapel, the Cachapoal and the Tinguiririca.
These whites and reds are available in most U.S. stores. Here are my tasting notes of the Gran Reserva Serie Riberas wines:
• 2014 Sauvignon Blanc — La Camanchaca, the Pacific Ocean wind, dries and cools the grapes in foggy Ucüquer vineyard, located 8 miles away in the Colchagua Valley, preserving hang time on the vines. Fresh, concentrated fruit results. Good acidity and mouthwatering flavors of sea salt, lime and herbs.
• 2011 Chardonnay — A beautiful, silky cremé brulée mouthfeel accompanies toasty, vanilla flavors. An intriguing wine from a warmer vintage.
• 2012 Chardonnay — A more assertive vintage with brighter acidity, fuller flavors and ever-pleasing aromas of eucalyptus flowers. My pick of the two, but by the narrowest of palate points.
• 2010 and 2013 Malbec — We tasted two vintages, the gap left by a devastating earthquake which wiped out 2011 and 2012 bottlings. Produced further inland at Palo Sablo on gentle red-clay slopes near the Tanguiririca River, these dark purple wines are distinctive in their own right. The 2010 is layered in chocolate-cherry and spices. It’s tightly wound. The 2013 is more expressive, punchier. The 2013 wins a split decision.
• 2013 Carmenere — Chile plants more of this varietal than anywhere in the world and winemaker Ramirez makes it shine in Peumo within the Cachapoal River valley. This is intense all around: deep purple-red color, plummy aromas and blackberry fruit flavors. Velvety smooth with a grand finish. This is the one bottle I selected to take home to share with the Wine Goddess.
• 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon — A truly elegant wine, containing small touches of Carmenere and Cabernet Franc, Ramirez harvests 13 percent of the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes early to preserve acidity. The wine is aged for 12-14 months in Italian casks. Wonderful cherry and plum fruit aromas and flavors. Rich in texture and powerfully sleek. A great match for a thick, grilled steak.
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