Evening in the Maipo Valley.
So, it’s Happy Birthday time once again. The Pattaya Mail is eighteen and
there’s a good excuse for a celebration. Mind you, as newspapers go, the PM
is a mere child compared to that Swedish paper that has lumbering along for 366
years, although not with the same editor. Still, given the choice, I’d prefer to
be celebrating my 18th birthday rather than my 366th. Anyway, if you feel in a
celebratory mood, why not push the boat out and buy something a bit special?
There can be few people in this so-called civilized world who
have never heard the name Rothschild. The name has been associated with fine
wines for almost a hundred and fifty years. The company Baron Philippe de
Rothschild SA is located in Bordeaux and has been motivated by a constant
ambition: to make the world’s finest wines. Wine lovers everywhere recognise the
name Chโteau Mouton Rothschild, even if they haven’t managed to scrape together
enough money to buy a bottle. In recent years, the company has exported its
expertise to both California and Chile. The range of superb Mapu wines is made
in the Maipo Valley under the supervision of the Rothschild Company.
Mapu Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (red), Chile (Foodland and Villa
Bt. 599)
Mapu evidently means “earth” in the Mapuche language. This
wine is a lovely deep red with hints of purple with long legs in the glass too.
There is a very subtle aroma, so you’ll need to get your snout right into the
glass to appreciate it. You’ll probably recognise the beguiling scent of black
cherries, dark fruit and a dash of raspberries. You might also pick up the
delicate aromas of black pepper and dried herbs too.
The taste comes as a pleasant surprise. I don’t know about
you, but I am getting a bit jaded with wines that taste like fruit-bombs. This
one is much more subtle and although it has a smooth mouth-feel, there’s good
firm tannin up front. The style seems rather French to me and presumably this is
something to do with the Rothschild pedigree. Not surprisingly, the wine is dry
as the proverbial bone, with a long and satisfying dry finish.
This is a highly enjoyable, superbly well-made wine and at
just over 13% alcohol, I’d prefer to drink it with food. If you like more fruit
on the taste and a little less tannin, open the bottle half an hour before you
need it, or better still tip the whole lot into a decanter. The air contact will
soften the wine and bring the fruit forward too. The makers suggest serving the
wine at 15ฐ C, so in this neck of the woods, you’ll need to chill it slightly.
Mapu Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (white), Chile (Foodland and Villa
Bt 599)
Now, here’s a really lovely wine. It’s a pale greenish gold,
with a surprisingly forward quality aroma. It is delicate, fresh and caressing,
with reminders of sweet pineapple, lemon peel and a suggestion of caramel. This
is the most exquisite wine aroma I have encountered for many a day. There’s a
creamy, orangey smell in there too and I thought I could even detect a faint
aroma of pear drops. I spent a long time smelling this wine even before tasting
it. I hope you do too.
When I finally did, I found that it has a gorgeous silky
mouth-feel, utterly dry but with plenty of orangey fruit, a light touch of
acidity and a long citrus finish. This is not a “knock-it-back and gimme more”
wine, but something to think about, appreciate and enjoy. It’s a Mozart Piano
Trio, not a Strauss waltz. It really has a magic touch.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering what you’d have to pay for a
Chโteau Mouton Rothschild from Bordeaux for a special birthday celebration, the
superb 1986 vintage will cost you at least Bt. 42,000 a bottle. I tend not to
drink it very often.
