A Masterpiece at Millahue
Viña Vik, the outstanding Chilean winery in the Millahue Valley of Chile, is planted in an area the indigenous Mapuche call ‘Lugar de Oro’ (Place of Gold). Given the price of their top wine (VIK), the awards and top scores it regularly racks up, and the difficulty in securing an allocation, they are in the right place.
Owned by Norwegian entrepreneurs Alex and Carrie Vik, the property is nothing short of breathtaking; it has won awards for being no less than the finest vineyard in all the world.
The winemaking is overseen by celebrated Chilean winemaker Cristián Vallejo, who, after getting his start at Viña Undurraga and becoming chief winemaker at TerraMater, went on to produce wine in the celebrated regions of the Napa Valley in California, Penedès, Spain, in Italy and Bordeaux (which included a stint at Château Margaux).
A producer of impeccable wines, Cristián is a winemaker’s winemaker, one who looks at the art, the science, the philosophy, and the provenance of the wines he produces, always striving, always trying to take it further. He strikes me as a winemaker, not trying to conduct nature or bend it to his will in any shape or form. With his journeys into ‘Barroir,’ ‘Fleuroir’ and ‘Amphoir,’ instead, he is looking to give it full expression, a journey to discover nuances, expressions, the soul previously unseen, not yet felt, as yet unheard.
‘Barroir’ is where staves imported from France are seasoned and coopered on the property, fired and charred with coals of locally grown oak, which is done to impart a regional character and unique complexity. It is hoped that at some point in the future, barrels will be coopered from their own, locally grown Chilean oak.
‘Fleuroir’ is using only wild, natural yeast and incorporating indigenous flowers into the must, done to impart their own native yeasts and character into the fermentation.
‘Amphoir’ is an innovative project that merges the ancient technique of maturing wine in amphorae (clay jars) with locally sourced clay to create custom, locally-handmade aging vessels.
Wine, like any great art, is about connection: cerebral, emotional, and deeply personal to the observer, not just its creator and the place from which it came.
Often with wine –as with art– it is not only about what it has to say, but about what it unlocks within you, what it brings out and how it touches you. Vallejo seems to understand this and goes to great lengths to connect with his earth, the air he breathes and the spirits in the valley all around him. These are wines that whisper remarkable stories as you lean in, and then, if you are prepared for the listening, have a great song to sing.
We stare at a great painting and time seems to stop, people in art galleries sit in front of a favourite picture whilst minutes turn to half-hours and then sometimes even longer, just to be in its presence. We listen to a favourite recording of music again and again, over and over. We go to see a cherished movie one more time, even though we know every scene and can even dictate its dialogue.
We do this, not because we haven’t taken it all in, in one sitting, but because it reveals to us, more and more of ourselves to us each time, or it takes us to a place, deep inside of ourselves, that can only be reached, only be touched, just in that spot, by this moment of intersection with this art.
At a recent intersection between nature and art, I tried the 2018 and 2019 VIK.
VIK 2018
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Cabernet Franc (25%).
Region: Millahue, Cachapoal Valley, Chile.
Terroir: The vines are grown in deep, porous, granitic soils. The climate is temperate with a moderating, maritime influence.
Maturation: 26 months in new French oak.
A cooler year, this was a stunning wine, with aromas of red forest berries, blackcurrant, some wildflowers, field herbs, fine spices, classy oak, vanilla pod, and a whiff of mild chocolate. The palate is seductive, with a fine texture like satin sheets, the fruit complex, layered and with good depth and presence. The fruit intensity winds up until fine, dry, persistent tannins dial up on the back palate, the finish is clean, lingering, and enjoyable, the wine as a whole is super impressive, and undoubtedly one of Chile’s finest. 98/100
VIK 2019
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Cabernet Franc (23%).
Region: Millahue, Cachapoal Valley, Chile.
The vines are grown in granitic soils with good drainage. The climate is temperate with a maritime influence.
Maturation: Twenty months in French oak barrels and six months in ‘Barroir’ barrels.
Simply put, the wine is a masterpiece. Aromas are of forest berries, spices, sage, mocha notes, fine oak, and a hint of tobacco leaf. The palate has incredible depth and complexity, matched by a remarkable poise and elegance on the palate; it just reels you in. The wine fans out across the palate like a peacock’s tail, swirls, little eddies of nuance, surprise, and delight. Just as every Monet insists on a worthy frame, this wine is wrapped in fine, ripe, and impeccable tannins, a bracing cleanse of vibrant but not assertive acidity complementing the third act. Then a coda of pure, pristine berry fruit lingers on the aftertaste. I have had some truly great wines in a lifetime of winemaking, tasting, judging, and drinking; this is surely one of them. 100/100
Darren Gall
