From: Las Dichas, Casablanca, Chile
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste & Critical Acclaim: Dark ripe cherry and black fruits jump out of the glass with underlying raspberry fruit notes. A condensed and dark spiraling mid-palate shows layers of minerality and complexity, with hints of wet crushed rock (granite), sage, clove, and blueberry—rich, full fruit, mineral-driven, with a long, generous, smooth finish.
91 points Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Bodega Montesecano Refugio is an excellent Pinot Noir from the Casablanca Valley. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows inviting aromas and flavors of ripe berries and a hint of oak. Enjoy it with grilled lamb chops. (Tasted: April 7, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Pairing: Pinot Noir has found the perfect climatic conditions to thrive in Chile, delivering wines recognized worldwide for their quality and structure. Chilean Pinot Noir is unique and expressive, with notes of cherry, strawberry, and spices like thyme, allspice, and bay leaf. They’re a completely different experience from Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, Russian River Valley, and the Willamette Valley. They are excellent pairing partners for a “new take” on Pinot pairings. Some pairing ideas include pizza with spring onions and fennel or pizza with caramelized onions, ricotta & chard, grilled spiced salmon, salmon teriyaki, or even salty-sweet BBQ salmon (check it out below, and eat the broccoli separately from the pairing- it’s great for you but not the best for this taste experience, heh). We couldn’t go without mentioning the Carne Plateada con Puré Rústico: This traditional Chilean dish is ideal with a delicious Chilean Pinot Noir. In a pot, prepare one kilogram of carne plateada with tomato, carrots, and onions. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat is soft. Serve it with mashed potatoes.
Salty-Sweet BBQ Salmon and Broccoli
By Kay Chun
About. Montsecano is a collaboration of Julio Donoso and André Ostertag of Alsace. This biodynamic winery consists of two hillside, granitic, small vineyards in the Casablanca Valley. A minimal approach is used in the horse-plowed vineyard and winery. The wines are made exclusively in stainless steel micro tanks or concrete egg fermenters. No oak is used. The small production winery is quickly being recognized as one of the best in South America.
Many thanks to Brazos Wine Imports for their hard work in importing, promoting, and providing information on this youthful, exciting winery. Montsecano is not just a local winery but a global community of winemakers. Julio Donoso and André Ostertag, hailing from Alsace, planted 4 hectares of Pinot Noir in Las Dichas, Casablanca, and built a small winery and cellar on the property. The vineyard is biodynamically farmed and is plowed by horse. The subterranean, geothermal winery is shaped like an egg, and they vinify exclusively with concrete egg and stainless steel.
Many believe they produce two of the most highly regarded expressions of Pinot Noir in all of Chile. Julio and Andre incorporate a philosophical aspect that goes deeper than the vine; the energy is manifested on the property and in the bottle. Since 2017, Dominique Derain has contributed to the winemaking process, and it is not uncommon for other winemakers from around the world to lend a hand during harvest, fostering a (further) sense of global collaboration.
This wine. From the Refugio vineyard, a 6-acre plot planted in 2006 at an altitude of 820 feet in granitic soils and farmed biodynamically, this 100% Pinot Noir is hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented, and then aged in stainless steel and concrete egg. The wine shows bright raspberry and strawberry jam with rose petals and violets. It was aged three months in bottle prior to release.
