Soto: Chile has copied NZ for too long

Chilean winemakers have been copying New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for too long and need to find their own style according to Rodrigo Soto of Veramonte.

Rodrigo Soto of Vermonte believes Chile needs to find its own style of Sauvignon

Speaking to the drinks business during a recent trip to Chile, Soto said: “Chilean producers have copied the New Zealand Sauvignon style for too long and in doing so, are missing out on the opportunity to show our own personality.

“The recipe needs to be tweaked and you need experience to make wines with personality. At the start we went big on aromatics but didn’t really focus on texture – we’re trying to build that up now in our whites.

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“Sauvignon Blanc is a very simple and identifiable variety and getting the aromatics right was good enough for too long.

“I want things to shift to the wines having more interesting texture as it’s the only way our whites will be taken seriously. But it doesn’t come naturally – you have to work at it.”

When it comes to Chardonnay, Soto believes Chilean producers are “even further behind” in their knowledge.

“In the beginning we treated Chardonnay pretty much the same way as Sauvignon Blanc or tried to mimic California with the big buttery styles.

“Chardonnay from Casablanca has tremendous potential but we need to polish it. Decomposed granite soils give you good acidity and a distinct freshness.

“As the vines age in Casablanca there is a chance to do something better and more specific that tells the story of the place,” he said.

“Casablanca has promoted the acidity of its wines for too long, which is only interesting if you work it to your favour. It takes time to make progress as this is a slow industry but Chile is on its way to making great whites,” he added.

As for vine age, Soto believes it is “fundamental” to quality. “It’s not fair to talk about a sense of place without it,” he told db.

“Organic and biodynamic viticulture is the only way to achieve age in your vineyards. In Chile most of our vineyards are teenagers and are dying before they really start to perform.

“The average age of a vine in Burgundy is 70 years and in Bordeaux it’s 40. In Chile it’s just 17,” Soto said.

“It’s very hard to manage drip irrigation without stressing your vines. Plants mirror their environment and if you stress your surroundings you’ll see it in the fruit.

“They have to replant their vineyards every 20 years in California for that reason. We don’t want to be seen as the green guys in the industry, all we want is for our vines to live longer,” he added.