At home among Chile’s elite Viña Requingua’s wines are recognised internationally as some of the best in Chile. Who better to present them to a group of independent merchants than winemaker Benoit Fitte?
A
Michelin-starred restaurant seemed the natural setting
for an evening in the company of winemaker Benoit Fitte. Viña Requingua is one of the top 20 producers in Chile,
making wines at a range of price points that have found a receptive audience among UK independents.
The evening, organised by importer Condor Wines in partnership
with Viña Requingua and export body ProChile, took place at
Simpsons in Birmingham, where a group of merchants from the east and west Midlands sampled a selection of Fitte’s creations.
These included the enigmatic Laku, a “secret blend”. Each year
Fitte and winery president Santiago Achurra spend three days
tasting barrel samples. Only seven of their 3,200 barrels are chosen and Benoit then makes a blend from these vessels drawn from
vineyards across three valleys: Curicó, Maule and Colchagua. The
only way to discover the blend is to open the bottle and read what has been printed on the cork. Just 2,300 bottles are produced.
Santiago Achurra Larraín founded Viña Requingua in 1961.
Along with new generations of the family, he has taken the business into Chile’s premier league. The company focuses on sites with varied soils and a mild, Mediterranean-like climate with dry summers, radiant days and cool nights.
The family winery was established in 1961
Fitte, who left his native France to join the winery in 2001, has
been instrumental in the development of premium wines.
Condor has been working with Requingua since 2014 and owner
Lee Evans says the wines have been “very successful” in the UK. “Much of the volume sits within the popular Merlot and
Sauvignon Blanc pair,” he reports. “But we have seen a lot of interest in their lightly-oaked Pinot Noir and Carmenere and also wines among their more premium offer.
“My favourite wines in the range are under
the Toro de Piedra label: a Petit Verdot-Cabernet
WINES ON TASTE at the simpsons dinner • Toro de Piedra Sparkling (NV) • Patria Nueva Reserva Chardonnay 2017 • Arte Noble Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2018 • Toro de Piedra Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2016 • Toro de Piedra Gran Reserva Petit Verdot-Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Wine Merchant Top 100 winner)
Sauvignon and Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon
• Potro de Piedra Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon-
Sauvignon Blanc [RRP £9.99]. They are superb
• Laku 2011
[both RRP £13.49] and the late-harvest Semillonwines with an excellent price-quality relationship
and which offer a very satisfying glass of wine –
Cabernet Franc 2009 • Toro de Piedra Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2017
particularly during these colder months.”
THE WINE MERCHANT november 2018 26