Photo by Sai Balaji Varma Gadhiraju on Unsplash
The Humboldt Current, a chilly current that flows right beside Chile’s coastal wine regions, plays a big role in the climate and how grapes ripen.
Two popular grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, are grown in Chile’s coastal wine regions.
The cold temperatures brought by the Humboldt Current and the reduced sunlight because of thermal inversion slow down grape ripening in a high-latitude area. Wherever vines are planted in this Humboldt-influenced buffer zone, the ripening temperatures are low and similar to those in Rheims, Champagne, and Dijon, Burgundy. But when the sun clears the mist around midday, the sunlight gets stronger, just like it should be in those latitudes.
This mix of cool temperatures and plenty of sunlight makes sure the wines ripen slowly and completely. The whites stay sharp and acidic, with low pH, while the fruity smells are ripe, with notes of apple and pear for Chardonnay, and lime and ginger for Pinot Noir.
The palates are rich even though they’re tart. For Pinot Noir, the color is a bit brighter because of the sunlight, while the crisp smells of sweet and sour cherry mix with wet earth, tart acidity, and a rich palate.
The soils are super important in making the wines. Granite gives most wines a lean and smooth texture, while calcareous clay, especially in Limarí, gives them a chalky feel. Scattered pockets of slate add a more concentrated palate because of the poor, rocky soils.
The combination of the climate of the Humboldt Current and the soils of the Chilean coast creates a super unique terroir. Since it’s so different, it’s fair to consider another name for Chilean coastal wines: Humboldt wines! Cheers!
(Materials provided by The Wines of Chile)