Bodegas Carrau

My decision to come to Uruguay was partially made on my desire to learn more about Uruguayan wines. Largely left out of any of my formal studies for sommelier course, or informal studies for my general wine knowledge, I could not think of any better way to learn then to engulf myself with the wine, the people, in the place! If I only could do this for every wine region I want to learn about i.e. everywhere in the world, but alas, I don't have the funds. Perhaps some day I will find myself perusing in Bordeaux, then off to Alsace, into the Rhine, and then way on down to Margaret River, Central Otago and beyond. Until then, I am going to learn as much about South American wines as I can.




My third and final winery in Uruguay was a wonderful visit to Bodegas Carrau, on the outskirts of Montevideo. Margarita Carrau, of the Ninth Generation of Bodegas Carrau, led me through the wines and through the winery


The Carrau family started winemaking in 1752 in Cataluña, España. The winemaking tradition continued for a few generations in Spain, and as relatives began to move to Uruguay, the wine went with them. It was in 1929 that Juan Carrau Sust moved to Montevideo with a degree in enology from Villa Franca del Penades, and a wife and five children in tow. One of those children, Margarita's father, Juan Francisco Carrau Pujol, was who officially purchased his own vineyards and winery in Uruguay-the Bodegas Carrau we see today.

Winemaking here at the Bodega Colón, in Montevideo, and at the Bodega Cerro Chapeu in Rivera on the Uruguay/Brazil border, is innovative fine wine-expressing the unique terrior of both areas, and together producing wines under the Bodegas Carrau name.



A model of the Bodega Cerro Chapeu all done my gravity flow.

A tour of the winery demonstrated the care they give to the wines-from pristine stainless tanks


To unique concrete tanks



A stunning cellar



And a seperate room for several pupitre for their vinos espumoso





Bodegas Carrau is very dedicated to winemaking, and after 260 years of tradition, who wouldn't be! Francisco Carrau, Margarita's brother, has tried to enhance that tradition with his degree in Chemistry and continuing study of the Microbiology of Wine Aromas. In this lab,



They dedicate much time and energy to the learning about the first tannat clones in Uruguay and preserving their history. They also are isolating the native yeasts for fermentation, and lead studies with consumers on tasting the wine.

And speaking of tasting the wines! We started with a wonderful 2012 Sauvignon Blanc




Aged sur lees for 6 months, this was a wonderful wine. On the nose it had hints of grass and guava. A nice acidity gave it a lasting acidity, that was herbaceous with a hint a jalepeño.

Another white, the 2011 Chardonnay Reserva



Was light and crisp-a nice blend of months aging on 40% of the blend.

Their 2012 Tannat Rosè "Saignée"



Was a beautiful rose, full of roses and lavender. It is fermented fully dry, and has a sharp acidity, perfect for the typical Uruguayan BBQ being prepared outside




A 2011 Pinot Noir de Reservas made me homesick for Pinots from home




And a 2010 Tannat de Reservas, was a smooth tannat-again screaming for the wonderful steaks being cooked only feet from my seat.



A special treat was the 2007 Amat Tannat, listed in Neil Beckett's 1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die.



We let it open up for the time of our tour and we came back to a stunning wine. It is fermented in open top tanks, then aged for 20-24 months in 50% new oak. It was black raspberries, partnered with oranges that had been simmered with nutmeg and cloves. This wine is made only in the finest vintages and it was really, a wine to try before you die.

Our final note was an actual 'treat', the Vivent Licor de Tannat



A late harvest fortified tannat, it was barrel aged with lees for 18 months and only 10 barrels are made. This wine was dark chocolate raspberry on the nose, with candied orange peels coming through on the finish. A dessert wine to skip dessert to for.

Thank you so much to Maragarita, and the staff at Bodegas Carrau for a delightful visit.

Location:Montevideo, Uruguay

Bodegas Castillo Viejo

My decision to come to Uruguay was partially made on my desire to learn more about Uruguayan wines. Largely left out of any of my formal studies for sommelier course, or informal studies for my general wine knowledge, I could not think of any better way to learn then to engulf myself with the wine, the people, in the place! If I only could do this for every wine region I want to learn about i.e. everywhere in the world, but alas, I don't have the funds. Perhaps some day I will find myself perusing in Bordeaux, then off to Alsace, into the Rhine, and then way on down to Margaret River, Central Otago and beyond. Until then, I am going to learn as much about South American wines as I can.


I continued this journey to Bodegas Castillo Viejo, a short drive from Pisano. I was greeted by Francisco and Pablo, export manager and winemaker respectively. Castillo Viejo is another family winery in the area, founded in 1927. While the vineyards are located in San José, about a hour and a half drive away, special care is given to make sure grapes come in well taken care of, including night harvests into small bins for transportation.

Quick upon arrival Pablo was gracious to sample some fermenting wines to try. As of February 15th, only white grapes were in tanks. They are experimenting with a Gewurtztraminer for sparkling




And a yummy Chardonnay



To me, the more wines I taste in this stage, the better. It only happens but once a year, or twice if you swap hemispheres, and some fermenting wines are incredible. It is also a peek into the future-what you will see in bottle many months.

A quick juant through the winery led us to the cellar below-both where they age the reserve wines, and where the original wine tanks of the winery were built into the Earth.




It was in this cellar that we held our tasting. Francisco started us off with their Brut Natural, while Pablo explained to me their various labels and levels within the winery



The sparkling is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc-which made for a bright, crisp wine with only the slightest hint of a tropical Sauvignon Blanc grape.

The second wine here at Castillo Viejo was a similar experience to the second wine I tasted at Pisano-a totally new experience with their 2012 CataMayor Tannat Rose Roble



Spending 3-4 months in oak, with the strong tannin of tannat but delicate as a rosè this wine was utterly different then any I had before.

We then went through a series of red wines, from their CataMayor Reserve label, including the 2010 Merlot




2010 Tannat and Cabernet Franc blend (70 percent tannat)



And the 2010 Tannat



Each of the three were fun expressions of what Castillo Viejo is trying to show-a diversity in wines, from their vineyards with respect to the environment and pleasure to the consumer.

Perhaps none of the wines we tasted we as evident of this philosophy, then of the next wine, the 2010 Vieja Parcela Cabernet Franc



The Vieja Parcela label includes only single variety grapes from the oldest parcels in the vineyard. When I said it had a note of graphite, Pablo chuckled as he confirmed, as the fermenting wine smells so strong of graphite, it is detectable several feet from the tank. The wine had hints of dark fruits and eucalyptus-a wonderful cabernet franc.

We concluded our formal tasting with the 2007 CataMayor Tannat, Single Barrel No 5


When the winemaker goes through the barrels destined for the Reserva de la Famila label (which I did try the 2009 Tannat), he selects a barrel or two of the best for single barrel bottling-the best of the best. These barrels are then aged for a year and a half in, then aged in bottles for another couple of years before release. It was the deepest color of the wines, nearly black, attributed to the 26 day maceration. However, the depth of this wine went beyond color. It had layers of fruit, balck raspberry and blackberry, and of spice, cinnamon and nutmeg that opened up as the wine swirled in my glass.

This glass was a wonderful conclusion to Castillo Viejo, and to my first day in Uruguay. Thanks to Francisco for the hospitality and gracias a Pablo por habló en ingles!

Location:Las Piedras, Uruguay

Valentine's Day

What to do on Valentine's Day on your first day in a new city, new country, new continent? Order a beer and the locals favorite sandwich and watch the world go by on Rambla Republica del Peru at Playa Pocitos, Montevideo, Uruguay





The beer is Pilsen, made here in Uruguay. Light and crisp, it was a nice relief from the glaring summer sun. The sandwich is a chivitos, the most typical sandwich in Uruguay. Rumor has it, the sandwich became popular in the 1960s but of course, the original restaurant no longer exists. Either way, there is a reason people all over the world love this dish. Even the famed Tony Bourdain declared it 'one of the greatest sandwiches in the world'. And what's not to love-a fried egg, with thin beef, along with some fried meats and melted cheese, a perfect tomato, little lettuce and mayo, lots of it. Served with a fork and knife, that are beyond necessary-this sandwich is killer.

To finish my Valentine's abroad, the attendant in the hostel informed us of a free concert nearby, outside in a Plaza. Walking a block in the direction one could hear the noise of a beautiful symphony playing in the warm evening air. I arrived to a large crowd-children dancing, lovers loving, and wonderful smiles on young and old. It was a complete orchestra-and the conductor was brillant on the stage.




Fireworks for the finale? Sold. Though not super into the day, I was a little intimidated to be so far away from loved ones back home, especially since I'm just starting out! But a warm welcome to Montevideo, with delicious food and wonderful music was the perfect way to begin this journey.

Location:Soriano,Montevideo,Uruguay

Harvest 2013

2013?! From California, people are just beginning to think of harvest 2013. Pruning is in full swing,




barrels being ordered, wine is being bottled, and every harvest intern wondering, where's next? Well, I just couldn't wait that long for another. After what was an incredible 2012 vintage at Littorai Wine in Sebastopol-full of stunning pinot noir sunsets




Pumpovers



Lab work



After work tastings



And biodynamic prep work,







I started to look South. Wayyyyy South. So this Spring 2013, I will be working for TerraNoble Winery in Talca, Chile. I am beyond excited to get my hands dirty again. And, to be blogging again. I don't know what it is able travel and writing but it is inspriring. And Iove it.

Best of all, I have already made my journey to South America! This adventure is only just beginning.

First stop, Montevideo. Capital of Uruguay and kickoff to my Harvest 2013.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Soriano,Montevideo,Uruguay